Pope Leo XIV was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a lung nodule. 

The surgery, according to experts, will determine if the nodule is malignant and what other treatment is needed, the Associated Press reported. 

After a short drive from the Vatican, Leo entered the hospital on foot through its main entrance, waving to dozens who had gathered to greet him. 

The surgery will be performed later in the afternoon by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the Vatican said. 

Should doctors determine the lesion on Leo's lung to be cancerous, oncologists say the pope's prognosis is good since it will have been removed at an early stage.