The pope has a lung nodule. What does this mean? And what’s the risk of cancer?

Key points

• Pope Leo will have surgery in the coming days to remove a lung nodule found during a routine check-up. The 71-year-old said the growth was well contained and caught early.
• Lung nodules are small growths in the lungs, usually no more than 3 centimetres across, and are often found by chest X-ray or CT scan. Most are harmless, with about 95 per cent being non-cancerous.
• Doctors weigh factors such as size, shape, location and patient history to decide whether removal is needed.