Pope Leo XIV will have a lung nodule removed this week
Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that he will undergo surgery this week to remove a nodule from his lung, and the Vatican confirmed it, according to NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, NPR, Reuters, The Washington Post, Politico, PBS NewsHour, The Hill and USA Today. The Vatican described a nodular lesion found in the lung. The coverage we reviewed gave no date or hospital for the operation. NBC and NPR said it would happen this week. We saw no statement that the nodule is cancerous, and the pope’s description, a small growth, suggests it is minor.
The pope leads 1.4 billion Catholics, and any surgery for a pontiff draws close attention to his schedule and his health. A nodule is a common finding and often benign.
There is nothing for readers to do. If you or a relative is told about a lung nodule, doctors usually recommend follow-up scans or a biopsy.
Watch the Vatican’s bulletin for the date, the length of recovery and any change to his public schedule. Expect plain medical language and few details.
DailyDrop U.S. No. 8 · October 12, 2026