Pope Leo XIV Heads Into Lung Surgery This Week After Doctors Find Early-Stage Nodule During Recent Medical Checks

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Pope Leo XIV Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pocket Pope Leo XIV is expected to undergo surgery this week to remove a small nodule doctors found in one of his lungs, the 71-year-old pontiff announced Sunday, Oct. 11, during his noon Angelus blessing in St. Peter’s Square. He said the growth was caught early and is confined to one spot. Neither the pope nor the Vatican has said whether the nodule is benign or cancerous.

According to Vatican News, Leo told the crowd that doctors found the lesion during recent medical examinations and recommended removing it. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized,” he said. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the pope would be admitted in the first days of the week without naming a date, and CBS News and the Associated Press reported that recovery is expected to take about a week.

The announcement is the first major health event of Leo’s 17-month pontificate, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in an AP story. For Catholics across the United States, including in the pope’s hometown of Chicago, it also touches a common experience. Many adults learn they have a lung nodule after a scan done for something else, then face the same choice between watching it and removing it.

What is confirmed is narrow. The pope said doctors described the nodule as circumscribed, meaning well defined and limited to one area, and that surgery was their recommendation. He thanked the faithful, saying, “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”

What is not confirmed matters just as much. The Vatican has not released the nodule’s size, which lung is involved, any biopsy result, or the type of operation planned. No diagnosis has been announced, so claims about cancer or about the pope’s long-term outlook remain speculation.

Leo has no previously known health problems and stays active, playing weekly tennis matches and swimming at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, according to AP. He has a trip planned for Nov. 6 to 17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. He said Sunday he still intends to go, though it is unclear whether surgery and recovery could change that schedule.

The pope is expected to be treated at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which keeps a special apartment for pontiffs and where Pope Francis and earlier popes received care. That history gives the news extra weight and explains why the Vatican’s next statements will be closely watched. Francis spent five weeks at Gemelli in early 2025 with a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia, and he died of a stroke on April 21, 2025, less than a month after going home. He had chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.

Leo’s situation differs from the facts released so far. He has no known chronic lung condition, and his doctors described the problem as small, early, and localized, a profile that usually gives surgeons more options. Surgery for a nodule often serves two purposes at once: it removes the growth and gives pathologists tissue for a definitive diagnosis.

Dr. Massimo Di Maio, president of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology, told Italy’s Sky TG24 that the key questions are whether the nodule is benign or malignant and, if malignant, whether disease appears anywhere else, according to the AP report. Di Maio, who has not treated the pope, added that when cancer is found early, the goal of treatment is generally cure, and that being physically fit is an important starting point for recovery.

A lung nodule is a small abnormal spot, up to about 3 centimeters (roughly 1.2 inches) across, that often turns up on a chest CT scan ordered for another reason, according to the American Cancer Society. Most nodules seen on CT scans are not cancer.

“Lung nodules are fairly common and are often benign,” Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, told AP. He explained that harmless and cancerous nodules can look alike on imaging, so removing one can give a clear answer when concern is great, and the operation is safe for that patient.

For U.S. readers, the practical lesson is to neither panic over an incidental finding nor ignore it. Doctors typically weigh a nodule’s size, shape, and growth over time, along with risk factors such as smoking history, before choosing between repeat scans, a biopsy or surgery. Anyone told they have a nodule can ask when the next scan is due, what would change the plan, and whether a lung specialist should review the images.

Adults with a heavy smoking history may also qualify for yearly low-dose CT screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for adults 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Most private plans cover eligible screening, and Medicare covers it for eligible people ages 50 to 77. Follow-up scans or biopsies can carry costs, so patients should check with their insurer first.

The next update is expected from the Vatican press office once the pope is admitted and after the operation. Pathology results, if released, would be the first official word on what the nodule is. Until then, the verified picture is a small, early, localized nodule, a planned operation, and an expected recovery of about a week. MedicalDaily will update this story as the Vatican releases new information.

Doctors found a small nodule in one of his lungs during recent medical examinations. The pope said it was detected at a very early stage and is well localized, and that doctors recommended removing it.

That has not been disclosed. The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is benign or malignant, and no diagnosis has been announced.

When and where will the surgery take place?

The Vatican said the pope would be admitted in the first days of this week. He is expected to be treated at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which has a special apartment for popes.

Recovery is expected to take about a week, according to CBS News and the AP.

Will the pope still travel to South America in November?

Leo said Sunday that he still plans to make his Nov. 6 to 17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The Vatican has not said whether surgery could affect the schedule.

No. Lung nodules are common and often benign, but benign and cancerous nodules can look alike on scans. Doctors use size, shape, growth, and risk factors to decide on follow-up.

What should I do if a scan shows a lung nodule?

Ask your clinician what follow-up is recommended and when, and whether a lung specialist should review the images. Do not ignore the finding, but keep in mind that most nodules are not cancer.