Pope Leo has lung cancer, the Vatican says

NPR | By Scott Detrow,

Michel Martin

Published October 14, 2026 at 4:43 AM EDT

Pope Leo XIV had surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous growth in his lung, the Vatican announced.

Scott Detrow

Scott Detrow is a host of All Things Considered, as well as NPR’s daily news podcast Consider This.

Michel Martin

Michel Martin is a host of Morning Edition.