The Vatican says Pope Leo has lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung in a 90-minute operation. The 71-year-old is resting in hospital and all public events are cancelled until 20 October.
01Summary
- 01The Vatican said doctors diagnosed Pope Leo with lung adenocarcinoma after surgery on Tuesday.
- 02Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique at Rome's Gemelli hospital.
- 03The operation lasted about 90 minutes, had no complications and the pope woke up normally, the Vatican said.
- 04Leo, 71, was admitted after a recent health checkup found a growth on his lung.
- 05All the pope's public events have been cancelled until 20 October, and he is expected to recover in hospital for about a week.
02Why it matters
This affects the leadership of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and could shape Vatican activity in the near term. It also matters because the pope has a packed schedule, including a planned November tour of South America.
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