Pope Leo XIV undergoes successful surgery after diagnosed with lung cancer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a piece of his lower right lung, The Vatican reports.

The Pope had a chest x-ray, and doctors found a spot on his right lung. They found a cancerous nodule, and Tuesday's surgery confirmed he has Adenocarcinoma, a specific form of lung cancer.

While a treatment plan has not been announced, Desmond D'Souza, a thoracic surgeon and lung cancer expert at Ohio State University, provides details on the early-stage prognosis.

"The future looks bright for him," Dr. D'Souza says.

"We don't have the information on the status of the lymph nodes that were removed, but all the information that we have so far leans towards an early diagnosis and a very good prognosis."

Dr. D'Souza also provided clarity on the stereotype associated with lung cancer. While many think lung cancer patients were previous smokers, that is not always the case.

"I think if you have a lung, you can get lung cancer. There's this stigma associated that only smokers can get lung cancer, but anyone can really get lung cancer, and in the U.S., about 18% of people who get diagnosed never smoked."

Pope Leo does not have a known history of smoking, and Dr. D'Souza emphasizes that it's vital for individuals 50 and older to get tested for lung cancer.

ABC57 will continue providing updates about the Pope as we hear more from The Vatican.