Pope Leo XIV arrived at Gemelli Hospital in Rome for surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, which is scheduled to take place later this Tuesday, the 13th. Leo walked into the hospital and waved as dozens of people waited at the main entrance for his arrival.
He revealed on Sunday, the 12th, that doctors had discovered a small nodule located in his lung and recommended its removal. According to the Vatican, he is expected to remain hospitalized for at least a week. All of his audiences have been canceled until October 20.
The American-born pontiff, 71, demonstrated an unusual level of transparency about the first major health issue publicly disclosed in his 17 months as pope. He revealed the discovery of the small nodule located during Sunday’s noonday prayer and announced that he would undergo the surgical removal.
“These are cases that can be very well treated, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation,” said Lorenzo Spaggiari, chief thoracic surgery of the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan— a doctor who does not participate in the pope’s treatment but knows the Gemelli team.
A member of the clergy who met Leo on Monday, Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu of Tokyo, said that Leo stated he was feeling well and decided to undergo the surgery immediately so as not to have to alter his plans to travel to Latin America.
However, the decision was clearly a surprise: although Gemelli Hospital has a papal apartment specifically used by previous popes — complete with a private chapel on the 10th floor — Leo will actually stay in a nearby room, since the papal apartment is currently undergoing renovations, according to the Vatican press office.
Additional treatment
During the surgery to remove the nodule and part of the lung, doctors would also remove the lymph nodes that drain the affected segment or lobe. “If all of these lymph nodes show negative results — i.e., stage one — the prognosis is very good,” he said, adding that no further treatment would be necessary.
The nodule was discovered during routine examinations, according to the Vatican, and Spaggiari said the Pope likely underwent other tests before receiving the surgical recommendation.
“I think he was a bit lucky. They found something that was asymptomatic — a pulmonary nodule, possibly a tumor. He might call it something else; we call it luck,” he said.
Recovery could permit travel to South America in November. The IEO recommends that patients not travel by plane for three weeks after surgery — which would give the Pope exactly the interval needed to undertake his planned trip from November 6 to 17 to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, depending on his recovery.
Prognosis
A pulmonary nodule is a small abnormal area that measures less than 3 centimeters in diameter. It is sometimes detected on a CT scan performed to investigate another issue, such as trauma or a lung infection, according to the American Cancer Society. Specialists say the nodule can be benign or malignant and that prompt assessment is essential.
If the nodule is cancerous and removed at an early stage, the prognosis is “excellent,” and the surgery alone can be a sufficient treatment, said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown University.
Leo, 71, is considered healthy and in good physical shape, both positive factors for his recovery.
He said the nodule was discovered during “recent medical examinations,” and the Vatican said on Monday that no specific health issue prompted the check-up, describing it as “routine.”
