Pope Leo XIV recovering well after lung cancer surgery, doctors say; resumes work from Rome hospital

Key takeaways

• Pope Leo XIV's doctors say a chest X-ray on Thursday showed good recovery of the lung that was operated on.
• On Tuesday, surgeons at Rome's Gemelli hospital removed the lower lobe of his right lung; tests confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
• The 71-year-old pope is moving around independently, doing physiotherapy and has resumed some work from hospital, the Vatican says.
• Doctors are still waiting for test results that will show whether the cancer has spread and whether more treatment is needed.
• The Vatican has not announced any change to his planned South America trip (6–17 November).

What the doctors said

In a statement released by the Vatican on Thursday, the pope's personal doctor, Dr Luigi Carbone, and Gemelli's head of thoracic surgery, Prof Stefano Margaritora, said routine checks gave normal results. They said he carried out his daily activities on his own and that his physiotherapy covered a full range of movement. AP quoted the doctors as saying his recovery was "proceeding as expected".

Earlier in the day, the Vatican said the pope had a good night in hospital and had eaten breakfast.

Back to work, from a hospital room

According to AP, the Vatican said Leo was looking at documents again and had celebrated Mass for a second day in a small chapel set up near his room on the hospital's 10th floor.

The Vatican also released his first message since the operation, sent to a meeting marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, a 2016 church document on family life. In it, he thanked participants for their prayers and their work, Reuters reported.

What is still not known

Reuters notes that tumour size and any spread to nearby lymph nodes are key factors in judging the outlook for this kind of cancer.

Background

The pope announced on Sunday that doctors had found a nodule in his lung and that he would have surgery. Asked about his travel plans, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni pointed to the pope's own words on Sunday thanking Peruvians for their prayers for his upcoming visit.

What to watch

• Results of the molecular and spread tests on the removed tissue.
• How long he stays at Gemelli and when he returns to the Vatican.
• Any decision on the November trip to Peru, Uruguay and Argentina.

Health news is reported from official statements and is not medical advice.