Pontiff diagnosed with lung cancer, had 'successful' surgery: Vatican

Pope Leo XIV’s surgery to remove a lung nodule was completed Tuesday, according to the Vatican, which later added that a surgical procedure confirmed he has lung cancer.

The Vatican said earlier in a statement that the operation was "successfully completed, on time and as planned," and that the pontiff has returned to his room.

The nodule was discovered during routine checks, was well-localized and in its early stages during the operation that took place at Rome's Gemelli hospital, according to the Vatican.

The surgical team was led by Stefano Margaritora, head of the hospital’s thoracic surgery unit.

The Vatican later said the pope has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

"An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations," Vatican News reported, citing doctors.

Lung adenocarcinoma is known as the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for roughly 40% of all lung cancer cases.

The pope was in the operating room for approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes.

"The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications," according to the report.