What to know about Pope Leo’s lung cancer

Pope Leo XIV Undergoes Surgery for Early-Stage Lung Cancer

Activelifezero.com – Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday in Rome after doctors found a cancerous nodule in his right lung. The procedure took place at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in the city’s northwest, where surgeons removed both the growth and the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung.

The Vatican said the nodule was identified as pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most frequently diagnosed form of lung cancer. The diagnosis raises important questions about recovery, future treatment and what the condition can mean when it is detected before it has spread.

What pulmonary adenocarcinoma means

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer. It makes up roughly 40% of lung cancer cases and generally develops and spreads more gradually than small cell lung cancer, another major category of the disease.

Its causes are not always identifiable in an individual patient. Smoking increases the risk, but adenocarcinoma also occurs among people who have never smoked. Exposure to radon, a naturally occurring gas, is considered the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Fine-particle air pollution is another recognized risk factor.

This cancer type is diagnosed comparatively often in people who have not smoked, as well as in women, younger patients and people of East Asian ancestry. Those patterns underline why lung cancer should not be viewed solely as a smoking-related illness.

Adenocarcinoma can be especially dangerous when it is discovered late, since advanced disease is harder to treat. In Pope Leo’s case, the growth was found at what he described Sunday as “a very early stage,” an important detail in assessing the outlook.

Why surgeons removed part of the lung

Surgery is commonly the first treatment for a localized adenocarcinoma. The objective is to remove the tumor along with a margin of surrounding tissue and reduce the chance that cancer remains in the lung.

The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has two. Because the nodule was located in the lower section of the pope’s right lung, doctors removed that lobe in a procedure known as a lobectomy. Such operations are used to treat cancers confined to a portion of the lung and can offer a chance of cure when the disease has been identified early enough.

The body can adapt after a lobectomy. Remaining lung tissue gradually assumes more of the breathing workload, although recovery takes time and reduced capacity can initially be noticeable, particularly during activity.

“The fact that Pope Leo had a localized case of adenocarcinoma with an early-stage detection works in his favor,” Mora said. “Especially after surgical removal.”

Dr. Juanita Mora, the national medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association, said the available information suggests a favorable prognosis. She noted that an early, localized cancer and successful removal are both positive factors.

Recovery after a lobectomy

People having this operation generally spend several days in hospital while clinicians monitor oxygen levels, breathing and other vital signs. Once those measures are stable, recovery usually continues at home. Pain and fatigue can be expected after surgery, and activity is normally resumed gradually.

Mora said Pope Leo’s recovery could take somewhat longer while his lungs adjust to the loss of one lobe. At first, breathing may feel more difficult until the left lung and the remaining parts of the right lung compensate.

“Initially, it will be a little harder for him to breathe until the left lung starts to compensate for it,” Mora said.

Respiratory therapy exercises will be part of that adjustment. Avoiding respiratory infections will also be particularly important because an infection may have greater consequences after the removal of lung tissue.

Several factors may support the pope’s recovery. Mora described the 71-year-old as otherwise healthy, noted that he does not smoke, and pointed to his regular tennis and exercise routine. Physical conditioning can help a person manage rehabilitation, although every patient’s recovery differs.

His predecessor, Pope Francis, provides another familiar example of life after lung surgery. Francis had a lobectomy on the right side when he was young after a serious tuberculosis infection. Mora said many people continue to function fully after a lobectomy.

“So obviously, a lot of people live and can fully do everything in terms of function and capacity, even with a lobectomy.”

Tests will determine whether further care is needed

The operation itself is only one part of the medical assessment. Doctors will examine lung tissue and lymph nodes near the lung to establish the cancer’s stage. Cancer cells in nearby lymph nodes, or evidence that the disease has moved beyond the original site, could change the treatment plan.

If testing shows that additional treatment is necessary, options may include chemotherapy or radiation. Physicians are also expected to carry out genetic and biomarker testing. Those results can help identify whether a targeted treatment or immunotherapy may be appropriate.

Biomarker testing has expanded treatment possibilities for lung cancer, though access is uneven. Mora said only 15 US states require health insurers to cover the testing for people with lung cancer.

Whether Pope Leo can make a planned trip to Latin America next month will depend on the findings from the coming days and on the pace of his recovery. For now, the central issue is whether the cancer was isolated and fully removed.

“We’re hoping, though, that it’s just an isolated cancer where he’s one and done, in which now we see a survival rate of 80% to 98% when it comes to surgical removal,” Mora said of Leo. “But now we will have to wait for these tests.”