Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery for lung cancer on Tuesday, after imaging revealed a nodule on his right lung. Leo, 71, had surgery to remove a lower lobe of the lung and was subsequently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer.
Leo does not have a known smoking history, but he does have cancer in his family, including his mother and brother.
We spoke with University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center member Elizabeth A. David, MD, MAS, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the CU Anschutz Department of Surgery, about lung cancer surgery and how lung cancers are diagnosed and treated.