Pope Leo XIV’s recent lung cancer diagnosis and surgery are drawing attention to the importance of early detection and the need for people at increased risk to talk with their doctors about screening.

Although the diagnosis has raised concerns about the pontiff’s health, medical experts say there is an important takeaway for the public: Lung cancer does not always cause symptoms in its early stages but finding it before it spreads can significantly improve a person’s chances of successful treatment.

Priya Andanamala, MD, a medical oncologist at the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria, Illinois, specializes in lung cancer. She says the pontiff’s case underscores why people at increased risk should not put off screening.

“As sad as the news is, I think it encourages all of our patients that are under a high-risk category to get that screening because if we are able to identify these lesions at an early stage, we are able to cure most patients. We’re able to cure them with surgery and chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy,” Dr. Andanamala stresses.

Pope Leo underwent a lobectomy, a procedure that removes one lobe of the lung. The lungs contain multiple lobes, with three in the right lung and two in the left. The surgery can help doctors determine the type of cancer, assess whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes and identify characteristics that can guide further treatment.

Dr. Andanamala says the information gathered during surgery and subsequent pathology testing helps doctors determine whether additional treatment may be beneficial.

While the pontiff’s complete pathology findings and cancer stage were not available at publication time, Dr. Andanamala emphasizes earlier-stage lung cancers can often be treated with the goal of curing the disease. The appropriate treatment and prognosis depend on factors including tumor size, lymph node involvement and the cancer’s molecular characteristics.

A personalized approach to care

That molecular profiling allows for what she calls a more personalized approach to cancer care.

“Trying to determine what biomarkers the cancer has and understanding the molecular landscape, there are many different mutations that, thankfully, we have approved targeted therapy for that are highly effective. So, all of these can be found with comprehensive molecular profiling that we run on the surgical specimen.”

That profile can also help determine if a patient is eligible for certain clinical trials.

Rachael Davis, MD, a physician at OSF HealthCare who specializes in lung conditions, says people should also understand that finding a lung nodule does not automatically mean they have cancer.

“In the Midwest, many people have lung nodules that are not cancer.” Dr. Davis explains, “There’s a fungus in our soil called histoplasmosis that predisposes people to lung nodules, so the rates of benign, meaning non-cancerous or not malignant, lung nodules is much higher in the Midwest than in other parts of the country.”

Doctors evaluate nodules based on factors such as size, growth over time, appearance and location. Comparing current scans with older imaging can help determine whether a nodule is concerning and whether it requires monitoring, a biopsy or additional evaluation.

Know if you have risk factors

Smoking remains a major risk factor for lung cancer, but it is not the only one. Radon exposure, workplace exposure to certain chemicals and dusts, secondhand smoke, asbestos and family history can also contribute to risk.

Dr. Davis says people with a strong family history of lung cancer, particularly among relatives who never smoked, should discuss their circumstances with their primary care provider.

“Most cases of lung cancer are completely asymptomatic,” Dr. Davis stresses. “There are no symptoms early, and so if we wait until there's symptoms in a patient, we've waited too long.”

For people who meet established eligibility criteria, annual low-dose CT scans are the standard screening approach. At OSF, Dr. Andanamala says providers are also offering the First Look lung blood test at 49 locations as another way to help reach certain people at risk.

“It is currently not an alternative for a low-dose scan, but if this is something that is easier for patients to come in for, and if we’re identifying something that is concerning, then typically we’re following up with further testing.”

Illinois has considerable room to improve screening participation. According to the American Lung Association, only about 17% of eligible people in Illinois receive lung cancer screening compared with a national rate of approximately 20%.

Screening for early detection can improve treatment outcomes

Screening rates within OSF are higher.

“If the Pope’s case teaches us anything, it’s that we need to get screened for lung cancer. OSF is a national leader in lung cancer screening at 50% systemwide, but there’s still 50% of our qualified patients who are not being screened,” says Ryan Luginbuhl, vice president of the oncology service line at OSF HealthCare.

To date, 275 people have undergone the First Look blood test at OSF, and 133 were referred for further evaluation through a CT scan. To date, 76 people referred, completed scans. Of those, six were referred for more testing, and of them, two are seeing oncologists. One has received a lung cancer diagnosis.

OSF is also one of the largest medical provider in the Midwest offering robotic bronchoscopy. Dr. Davis says the minimally invasive procedure allows for less painful and more accurate lung biopsies.

“We’re able to biopsy multiple lung nodules at the same time during the same procedure and reduce the need for the patient to come back for multiple procedures.”

This next-level approach is also allowing for use of fluorescent dye during surgery to locate and highlight nodules and spare valuable, non-cancerous lung tissue, improving outcomes and patients’ lung capacity.

Pope Leo’s diagnosis serves as a reminder that even people who appear healthy can develop lung cancer. The most important next step is to understand your risk, talk with a primary care provider and determine whether screening is appropriate.

Find out if you are a candidate for lung cancer screening with this short assessment.

Learn more about the full range of services available at OSF Cancer Institute.

Video clips with Dr. Priya Andanamala

Video clips with Dr. Rachael Davis

B-roll-Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis

A new generation of 3D Virtual Reality (VR) imaging technology at OSF HealthCare is giving surgeons a clearer view of cancer than ever before – and in some cases, completely changing surgical plans. For OSF HealthCare thoracic surgeon Richard Anderson, MD, that level of insight recently made the difference between removing part of a patient’s chest wall and preserving it entirely.

Dr. Anderson, chair and Norman Estes Professor of Surgery at University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, says the leap from standard imaging to 3D modeling is transformative for surgeons.

A better view

“So the real difference between a 2D and 3D is, just imagine looking at something on a piece of paper with two different pictures, looking at it from side to side, as opposed to having a model in your hand and being able to take that model and move it all around in all different directions, upside down, inside out, even open up things within the model and look at it. It’s really the difference between 2D and 3D.” Dr. Anderson adds, “It’s really quite impressive.”

The technology allows his team to isolate tumors, peel away layers of anatomy, and examine the intricate relationships among bones, vessels, and muscle before they ever enter the operating room. That clarity is especially crucial in complex thoracic oncology, where anatomy is delicate, variable and easily injured.

For Dr. Anderson and others who use 3D imaging, it increases the surgeon’s confidence.

“In the more complex oncology cases, it can make a big difference. It can help the surgeon really identify what structures they have to worry about during the operation, what structures they might have to sacrifice, before they actually do the operation and gives them a little bit more level of confidence going into the operation than probably they would have before.”

A tumor in a rare location

That level of detail proved critical in a recent complex thoracic oncology case. Thoracic surgery presents unique challenges because of the delicate and complex anatomy of the chest.

“The arteries aren't made the same, and so they're easier to tear. They're much more delicate. Lung tissue is sometimes like tissue paper, too. It’s easy to injure and tear. You have got to be very careful when you do the dissections in thoracic surgery. That's what makes it so challenging.”

Dr. Anderson treated Jake Wilson, a 69-year-old retired farmer and former prison guard from Central Illinois. Wilson’s case was challenging. He was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and in August of 2025 began a series of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the aggressively growing tumor.

Still, as surgery approached, Dr. Anderson was challenged with removing a nearly six‑centimeter tumor (about the size of a small egg) situated high in the chest, closely hugging the first three ribs. Standard 2D scans suggested the cancer had invaded the bone – a scenario that would typically require removing three ribs to ensure the cancerous tumor was completely removed.

Seeing is believing

But when Wilson became the first adult patient with lung cancer to have his case analyzed using advanced 3D modeling and virtual reality, the picture changed dramatically. The technology revealed that his ribs were not invaded at all. The tumor, though large and aggressive, was confined to muscle.

Sister M. Pieta Keller, Connor Davey, and Reid Jockisch, innovation engineers at Jump Simulation worked to segment the tumor for 3D viewing in virtual reality. Sister M. Pieta recently showed Wilson the 3D rendering. It was something he’ll never forget as she displayed his chest wall anatomy in vivid color and manipulated the images to reveal why Dr. Anderson could spare all three ribs.

“That was one of my biggest fears was losing my ribs,” Wilson explained. “Just the concept of that,” he said as his voice trailed off. Sister M. Pieta explained, “And your recovery and your pain would have been a lot higher,” to which Wilson responded, “I’m sure.” Sister M. Pieta added, “So this was quite the gift.”

After years of lung scans due to his history of smoking, seeing the vivid digital model after his successful surgery made the size and seriousness of the tumor undeniably real. Having only retired from farming six months earlier, Wilson admitted that going into the surgery, he was really scared.

“That put the fear of God into me, needless to say, because I’m an active person. I’m a farmer. I thought, ‘I could see being debilitated for the rest of my life.’”

A recovery that surprised everyone

The new imaging technology altered not only the surgical approach, but Wilson’s experience afterward. Instead of the severe pain typically expected after chest wall removal, his discomfort was minimal; it was largely limited to the area where an intercostal muscle was removed.

Wilson required only mild pain medication and never needed supplemental oxygen after losing half of his lung, something his care team described as highly unusual.

Even more astonishing, follow‑up imaging showed his remaining lung tissue had expanded far faster than expected. His post‑surgical biopsies revealed a remarkable result: the tumor was completely non‑viable (dead) at the time of removal.

A message about screening

Today, Wilson is cancer‑free and sharing his story. He credits many people along the way, including his primary care doctor, who five years ago, when Wilson was still smoking, encouraged him to get an annual CT screening to detect lung cancer.

“I thought, ‘I’m the one that’s stupid enough to do this to myself I ought to at least be smart enough to use a little preventive maintenance.’” He added, “And thank God I did because I might already be gone.”

But above all, Wilson returns to the strength of his faith which he credits with leading him to Dr. Anderson and his care team at OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria and OSF Cancer Center in Bloomington. He is sharing his story to show the power of prayer and faith, and to instill hope.

“I know for a fact that the most important thing a person can have in these ordeals is hope because without hope you give up. And this is one time you can’t afford to give up because if you give up, you’re done,” Wilson declared.

For Dr. Anderson, the case represents the promise of 3D technology not just to guide surgeons, but to change outcomes. He calls that, “A good day at work.” And for Wilson, it represents something even bigger: a second chance he intends to use to encourage others to seek preventive screenings, face fear with hope and share gratitude for every day.

Video clips with Dr. Richard Anderson

Video clips with oncology patient Jake Wilson

B-roll of 3D imaging and Dr. Anderson