Pope Leo, the 71-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church, announced during his weekly Sunday blessing at St Peter’s Square that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a small lung nodule discovered during a recent health check. He stated, "it was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed." The pope added, "The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it." The Vatican indicated that a week of recovery time is expected after the surgery, but did not specify whether the nodule is believed to be malignant.
A lung nodule is a small, localized lesion that can be benign. According to the American Thoracic Society, fewer than five percent of lung nodules ultimately become cancerous, although the risk increases with age, size, and factors such as smoking. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University, noted, "Lung nodules are fairly common and are often benign."
Pope Leo has no previously known health issues and is considered physically active, participating in weekly tennis games and swimming at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. He has a major trip scheduled from November 6-17 to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It is unclear if the surgery and recovery will impact this itinerary, but he expressed his intention to proceed with the trip.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her support for the pope, stating, "I would like to express to the Holy Father my personal support, and that of the Italian government, as he faces this challenge in the coming days." She added that the pope's demeanor during his announcement was "reassuring."
The late Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, passed away at age 88 after being hospitalized multiple times and experiencing frailty in his later years. He did not typically announce his hospital visits in advance, which sometimes led to media speculation about his health.