Pope to undergo surgery within days to remove nodule on lung

The Pope announced the news about his health while giving his noon blessing at the Vatican on Sunday (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

The Pope has announced he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung, in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate.

Leo, 71, said the nodule was found at an early stage and is “circumscribed”, or well-localised.

The Vatican said Leo will undergo surgery in “the coming days”, with an expected recovery time of a week.

The Pope made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing, and he thanked the crowd for their closeness and entrusted himself to their prayers.

He is expected to be treated at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which has a special apartment for pontiffs.

A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than three centimetres that sometimes appears on a CT scan of the chest or abdomen, according to the American Cancer Society.

Often, the scans are done to investigate trauma or a lung infection, unrelated to a lung cancer screening.

Dr Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said: “Lung nodules are fairly common and are often benign, but benign and cancerous nodules can have a similar appearance on imaging.

“When there is sufficient concern, and when it is safe to do so based on the location of the nodule and the overall health of the patient, surgical removal can provide a definitive diagnosis.”

The Pope has no previously known health problems and is known to be physically active, with weekly tennis games and swimming at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.

Leo has a major trip planned to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November. The Vatican statement did not say what impact, if any, the surgery or recovery would have on the trip, but the Pope said in his remarks on Sunday that he still plans to go.

Speaking in Italian, he said: “Doctors found a small, localised nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed. The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I have decided to have surgery to remove it.”

He thanked the faithful “for your spiritual support, and I entrust myself to your prayers”.

Italian premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her support, and that of the Italian government, for Leo “as he faces this challenge in the coming days”.

In a statement, she added that “the serenity and calm with which he spoke about it” were reassuring.