# Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer (10/13/2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816 "2026-10-13T22:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/1 "2026-10-13T22:35:27Z")
Several days ago, the Vatican announced that he was having a lung nodule biopsied, and it looks like they did this and then went ahead with the removal of that lobe of his lung when it turned up positive. My dad had this done in early 2023, 8 months before he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at age 90. Dad was a city firefighter for 36 years and raised by smokers, although AFAIK he never smoked. He declined further treatment, because the surgery appeared to get it all, and his doctors agreed. I’m not Catholic, but I hope he makes a full recovery and lives out a very long and faithful life. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/2 "2026-10-13T22:47:51Z")
I am not of his faith, or any especially, but I respect and admire him greatly, and wish him a speedy and complete recovery. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/3 "2026-10-13T23:17:06Z")
^^ Perfectly said. The Pope is 71. So not old, but also not young. Plenty of vigor, but lotta ways for his wheels to start coming off after this. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/4 "2026-10-13T23:46:57Z")
It’s been decades since we had a healthy Pope. Pope John Paul II was very vigorous in the beginning years. He traveled a lot in the Pope mobile. PJP was in bad health towards the end. Seems like all of them since were feeble. One wisely stepped down and retired before dying. Now Pope Leo has cancer. Chemo will take a heavy toll. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/5 "2026-10-14T00:26:42Z")
Maybe time for them to decide to not hire anyone over 50. Maybe we should do the same for Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/6 "2026-10-14T00:30:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Seems like all of them since were feeble. “Cardinal” isn’t exactly an entry-level position. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/7 "2026-10-14T00:31:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s been decades since we had a healthy Pope. All but one died in office. Terrible record. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan\_myers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@aruvqan\_myers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan_myers)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/8 "2026-10-14T01:01:41Z")
Not Catholic, or religious in any manner, but am a cancer survivor. Cancer sucks. I hope his treatment is successful and he has more years ahead of him. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/9 "2026-10-14T04:50:27Z")
Being a surgeon is a high-stress gig as it is. When your patient is the head of the Catholic Church? That has to just kick it up a notch. On the other hand, it does present a dynamite opportunity to score some brownie points with God. I like to imagine the surgeon will bring up the whole “I fixed the pope” thing in their prayers from here on out. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/10 "2026-10-14T06:29:04Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > All but one died in office. Terrible record. Not correct. There were several back in the 1600’s and before who did not. Some even retired, elected a replacement, and moved to a monastery, only to later be called back to serve again as Pope. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/11 "2026-10-14T08:54:51Z")
Well… not so much _nowadays_.But the origin of the word ‘nepotism’ [suggests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal-nephew) this may not always have been the case. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-leo-xiv-has-lung-cancer-10-13-2026/1033816/12 "2026-10-14T13:32:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Now Pope Leo has cancer. Chemo will take a heavy toll. From what I heard, there was a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma on intraoperative evaluation (probably frozen section). If tumor is limited to the small nodule, there aren’t any worrisome histologic features and no lymph node spread is detected, no further treatment may be indicated. They’ll probably do molecular testing on tumor tissue in case targeted drug therapy is indicated now or in the future.