During a gathering in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Leo revealed that doctors discovered “a small, localized nodule” in his lung. Almost immediately, the medical community reassured the public—most nodules are usually benign, they said. It’s probably not a huge concern.
I recall hearing similar reassurances about my own lung a while back. They were, unfortunately, incorrect. Just a couple of days later, the Vatican announced that the nodule was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Holy Father’s right lung using minimally invasive techniques, guided by imaging rather than open surgery, and he was back in his room the same day.
POPE LEO DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER AFTER SURGEONS REMOVE PART OF RIGHT LUNG, VATICAN SAYS
Interestingly, my situation was quite similar. A year ago, I had half of my right lung removed, and I was running again just a month after that. So, my initial reaction to the pope’s diagnosis was actually not one of fear but rather a sense of hope.
At the age of 43, I was a mother of four, an avid runner, and the daughter of a lung specialist. On the morning I discovered I had lung cancer, I had already completed six miles without any indication that something was wrong. I had no symptoms at all. According to current guidelines, I shouldn’t have been at risk, and I didn’t qualify for screening.
POPE LEO UNDERGOES BLOOD TESTS, X-RAY FOLLOWING CANCER SURGERY, VATICAN SAYS
The diagnosis came from a scan I opted for, not due to any symptoms. My husband and I have always believed in proactive testing, so, encouraged by him, I scheduled a comprehensive full-body scan. I paid for it out of pocket, expecting it to be a baseline check. Instead, it revealed a 3.8-centimeter nodule in my right lung. The initial recommendation from the radiologist was to monitor it if symptoms arose. However, with my dad being a lung doctor and a close friend in radiology, they insisted I pursue further investigation sooner. A follow-up low-dose CT scan showed that the nodule had grown within just two months. This led to a stage 1B lung cancer diagnosis and, like the pope, I underwent surgery to remove it. Yet, still, I never showed any symptoms.
Exactly four weeks post-operation, I was flying again. I was back to running fairly quickly. If caught early and treated by an experienced medical team, lung cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. It is manageable, a condition that can be addressed effectively. If the pope continues with his planned trip to South America in November, he’ll be flying about the same time post-surgery as I was.
DR MARC SIEGEL: POPE LEO’S LUNG SURGERY PUTS MODERN MEDICINE ALONGSIDE FAITH
So, the despair I’ve seen in my messages with Catholic friends lately seems misplaced. What I think should truly concern Americans is quite different. The pope’s cancer was discovered during a routine check-up. My own cancer was found because I chose to pay for a scan that no one recommended. The reality is that most Americans are not getting either type of check.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and also one of the costliest cancers to treat, mainly because it’s often detected at later stages. The current guidelines suggest screening only for adults aged 50 to 80 who have significant smoking histories. However, fewer than 20% of those eligible actually get screened, and nearly two-thirds of lung cancer diagnoses occur in individuals who wouldn’t even qualify for screening. I am one of those individuals.
POPE LEO’S LUNG TUMOR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT CANCER RISK FOR NONSMOKERS
The stage of the diagnosis is crucial; it heavily influences both survival rates and treatment costs. If lung cancer is found at stage I, the five-year survival rate can exceed 90%. Sadly, most cases are discovered only after the disease has spread, when curative options are limited.
There’s a solution being discussed. The Saving Health by Identifying Risk for Americans (SHIRA) Act is a proposed bill currently circulating among policymakers. It aims to make lung cancer screening free for patients under Medicare—no copays, no deductibles. The bill would also extend coverage to veterans exposed to burn pits, guarantee initial scans for cancer survivors and those with family histories, and require Medicare to redefine what it means to be ‘high risk,’ ensuring that never-smokers like me are acknowledged. It proposes a pathway for age-based screening beginning at 40, similar to existing screenings for breast and colorectal cancers.
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Personally, I consider myself fortunate. A preventive scan, a determined father, and timely diagnosis created a future for me that might not have been possible otherwise. The pope was fortunate too; his cancer was identified early during a routine examination. Luck should not dictate who survives lung cancer; rather, screening policies should.
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This week, I am keeping the pope in my prayers, and I feel confident. I hope that every American can have the same source of confidence that he does.
