What to know about Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming lung surgery

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VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV will be hospitalized late Tuesday morning (Oct. 13) at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome to undergo surgery for a “localized nodule” in his lung, the Holy See press office announced on Monday.

The 71-year-old pope said he was following the advice of his doctors to operate on the nodule, which “was detected at a very early stage and is well localized,” in his remarks in Italian after his Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.

What is a lung nodule and how is it treated? A lung nodule is a small spot that is usually detected on a chest scan. It can result from an infection, inflammation or scarring, or it may be a benign or cancerous growth. The American Thoracic Society says that fewer than 5% of lung nodules are cancerous, though an individual’s risk depends on factors including age, smoking history and the nodule’s size and appearance.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, lung nodules show up on as many as 1 in 3 chest CT scans. They don’t always require treatment; however, the Clinic said if a nodule grows or causes symptoms, surgery may be…