PBS NewsHour · Oct 13, 2026

What we know about Pope Leo's lung cancer and prognosis

The Vatican says Pope Leo has lung cancer and that doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in a surgery that lasted roughly 90 minutes. In a statement, the Vatican called the operation "successful" and said there were "no complications." For more on the Pope's prognosis, Geoff Bennett spoke with Dr. Omer Awan, a physician and senior public health contributor at Forbes.