Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer as doctors remove part of lung, Vatican says

Pope Leo, a 71-year-old pontiff, has been diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery to remove a part of his right lung took place on Tuesday, according to a medical bulletin released by the Vatican. The pope now has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of cancer, with tissue tests confirming the doctors' suspicions from prior examinations.

Pope Leo underwent the procedure at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where lead surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora and personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone announced that the operation lasted around 90 minutes and was successful, with no complications. The removal of the lower lobe of the right lung was done using a video-assisted technique, aiming to eliminate all cancerous tissue.

While the Vatican has not yet provided information on the size of the tumor and whether it had spread to his lymph nodes, lung cancer expert Dr. Stephen Liu noted that if the cancer is small and hasn't involved lymph nodes, surgery is likely to be curative. However, a greater extent of cancer involvement would indicate a poorer prognosis.

The pope, who regained consciousness normally after the surgery, is currently resting in his hospital room and is expected to remain there for approximately a week. All public events by Pope Leo have been canceled until October 20.