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Pope Leo XIV is recovering from lung cancer surgery, and his diagnosis has drawn renewed attention to the disease and the critical role of early screening. Vatican officials confirm the pontiff has been walking in his hospital room and eating normally following the procedure.
A Shared Diagnosis
For MaryAnn Bradley, a lung cancer survivor from St. Catharines, Ontario, the Pope’s situation feels deeply personal. Bradley underwent the same operation after doctors diagnosed her with adenocarcinoma — the same type of lung cancer identified in Pope Leo XIV.
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“So the Pope and I have something in common. I had the same surgery,” Bradley told Global News. “I had a right upper lobectomy and it was diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma, which is the same as the Pope.”
Dr. Natasha Leighl, a medical oncologist at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, explained what the surgery involved. The procedure removed one of the five lobes of the Pope’s lungs. “There’s three on the right, two on the left,” Leighl said.
Lung Cancer in Canada
Leighl also highlighted the scale of the disease in Canada. Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. Doctors expect nearly 33,000 Canadians to receive a lung cancer diagnosis this year alone.
Common signs and symptoms include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and chest pain. However, many people delay seeking medical attention, which can reduce treatment options significantly.
Early screening remains the most effective way to improve outcomes. Doctors consistently point to early detection as a key factor in survival rates.
The Case for Screening
Dr. Rosalyn Juergens, president of Lung Cancer Canada, described how lung cancer screening works. The process involves a low-dose CT scan, which doctors use specifically to minimize radiation exposure during detection.
Currently, screening programs focus on individuals considered at high risk. Juergens said eligibility is based on a person’s smoking history, including whether they have smoked and how heavily they smoked over time.
Bradley urged anyone concerned about their health to speak with a doctor without delay. “Please don’t wait,” she said. “Women have a tendency to wait because we have children. Our lives are busy, because we’re working full-time. Please don’t ignore the signs.”
A Global Moment for Awareness
Bradley expressed hope that the Pope’s openness about his lung cancer diagnosis will raise awareness worldwide. She believes his willingness to speak publicly about the disease is already making a difference.
In her view, Pope Leo XIV’s diagnosis is helping save lives simply by drawing global attention to lung cancer. For many people, a high-profile case like this can be the prompt they need to seek medical advice sooner rather than later.
