Pope Léon XIV to Undergo Surgery to Remove Lung Nodule

Overview

• Pope Léon XIV announced Sunday that doctors detected a small, well‑localized pulmonary nodule at a very early stage and that he has decided to follow their advice to have it removed.
• The Vatican confirmed the operation is scheduled in the coming days at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in Rome and said the pope’s hospital stay is expected to last about one week.
• The Vatican and the pope have not released biopsy results or the specific medical reasons for choosing surgery instead of monitoring, so key diagnostic details remain private.
• Medical sources quoted in reporting note pulmonary nodules are common and usually benign, with fewer than 5 percent proving cancerous, but the pope’s age, 71, is cited as a contextual risk factor.
• Officials and public figures have offered support since the announcement and observers are watching whether the procedure will change the pope’s travel plans for his slated November visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.