Pope Leo XIV to Have Surgery for Small Lung Nodule
By Emma Carter
Image information
This is a representative image for this Daily News lesson.
Intro
Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that he will have surgery soon to remove a small nodule from his lung. The Vatican expects his recovery to take about a week.
Vocabulary
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| undergo verb | verb | Meaning: to experience or have a planned medical treatment | Example: She will undergo surgery next month. |
| localized adjective | adjective | Meaning: limited to one particular area | Example: The doctor said the infection was localized. |
| recover verb | verb | Meaning: to become healthy again after an illness or operation | Example: He needs time to recover from the operation. |
| abnormal adjective | adjective | Meaning: different from what is usual or expected | Example: The scan showed an abnormal area in her lung. |
| diagnosis noun | noun | Meaning: a doctor's decision about what illness or problem someone has | Example: The tests helped the doctor make a clear diagnosis. |
The story
Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule from his lung. He made the announcement during his regular Sunday noon blessing in Vatican City. The 71-year-old pope thanked people for their support and prayers.
Leo said the nodule was found at an early stage and was localized, meaning it was small and limited to one area. The Vatican did not give the exact time of the operation, but said it was expected to happen early this week. The pope is expected to have the surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
The Vatican said Leo would likely need about a week to recover. Because of this, he may miss the closing Mass on Wednesday for a weeklong conference about family ministry. The event is one of his main scheduled activities in the near future.
A lung nodule is a small abnormal area that can appear in an image of the chest or abdomen. Such nodules are fairly common, and many are not cancerous. However, healthy and cancerous nodules can look similar in medical images. Doctors may remove one when they need a clearer diagnosis and believe surgery is safe.
The announcement is the first major health event of Leo's 17-month pontificate. Further information about his recovery and public schedule is expected after the operation.
Warm-up questions
- What usually happens when a person needs an operation?
- Why might someone need time away from public activities after surgery?
Comprehension questions
- Where did the pope make the announcement?
- What did the pope thank people for?
- When was the operation expected to happen?
- Why might Leo miss the closing Mass?
- Why might doctors remove a lung nodule?
Opinion questions
- Do you think public figures should quickly share news about a health problem? Why or why not?
- How might a leader's health affect the leader's planned schedule?
Further discussion
- What information would people probably want after a medical operation?
- Why can medical images sometimes make a diagnosis difficult?
Writing prompt
- Write a short news update explaining the pope's surgery, expected recovery, and possible missed event.
