JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Wednesday after being diagnosed with lung cancer over the weekend.
Right now, it’s not known if he was a smoker in the past, but his diagnosis highlights that even non-smokers can be at risk.
The Vatican says the surgery was to remove a nodule detected in Pope Leo’s lung discovered during a routine checkup.
Dr. Bill Putnam, a thoracic surgeon at Baptist MD Anderson, says that’s often how lung cancer is identified in non-smokers.
“Individuals who have never smoked, who have lung cancer [are often] diagnosed fortuitously,” Putnam said. “It just happened by accident — An abnormality was identified, and subsequent testing revealed a lung cancer.”
The American Cancer Society says as many as 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the United States each year have never smoked a day in their life.
“Many of these individuals are fit, have tried to take care of themselves over time, and it comes as quite a quite a shock to them and their families,” Putnam said.
Dr. Putnam says the cause could be related to other things like air pollution, second-hand smoke or radon — a naturally occurring gas that can’t be seen, smelled or tasted.
The American Lung Association cites radon gas as the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States, accounting for approximately 21,000 deaths per year.
Dr. Putnam says the best way to stay healthy is to discuss any concerns with your doctor early on, especially if you have a smoking history that makes you eligible for a lung cancer screening.
“Lung cancer can be a silent killer, a silent disease; having these screening studies is really one of the best, earliest, and easiest ways of doing it,” Putnam said. “If you are smoking, time to stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start.”
Baptist MD Anderson recommends low-dose CT lung cancer screenings if you are between 50 and 77 years old, have a 20 pack-year history of smoking or more (meaning one pack a day for 20 years, two packs a day for ten, etc.), and if you are a current smoker or have quit within the last 15 years.
Learn more about how to prevent lung cancer by clicking here.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
