Vatican: Surgery Confirmed Pope Has Lung Cancer

Pope Leo XIV's surgery confirmed that he has lung cancer and he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said Tuesday. Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery. It said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery, the AP reports.

The 71-year-old was in the operating room for about 3 hours, the statement said. The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. "The operation concluded successfully, on time and as expected, and the Holy Father returned to his room," the Vatican said. Large crowds gathered outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital to greet Leo prior to the surgery, with some waiting for several hours, the BBC reports.