Pope Leo Is Eating and Recovering Following Lung Cancer Surgery, Doctors Say

Doctors treating Pope Leo XIV said he began walking and doing respiratory exercises on Wednesday, coming a day after the Vatican announced he was being treated for lung cancer.

According to a statement released by his doctor through the Vatican’s official news service, the pope “underwent the blood tests and chest X-ray scheduled after surgery.”

“The results confirm that his postoperative recovery is progressing normally: the values are within the expected range for the type of operation performed,” the team led by Dr. Luigi Carbone and professor Stefano Margaritora added in their statement.

The pontiff also underwent respiratory physiotherapy and has started walking around in his room, according to the update.

“He has resumed eating normally and had breakfast and lunch,” they said. “His recovery is proceeding as expected.”

Officials on Tuesday said the 71-year-old pope has a common variant of lung cancer, known as lung adenocarcinoma. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung during a 90-minute-long operation before examining it and making their diagnosis.

The tissue removed will undergo further testing in the coming days, authorities said.

After the operation, Pope Leo asked for dinner and visited with his staff and secretaries, the Vatican’s press office announced. He is expected to be under treatment at the hospital for the next week, officials added.

It comes after he was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, located in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday morning, the Vatican said. The operation was led by Margaritora and was assisted by Elisa Meacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Congedo, and Dr. Leonardo Petracca Ciavarella.

Doctors said the surgery “was successful,” with no complications reported, the Vatican also said.

Ahead of the operation, Pope Leo wrote on Sunday that doctors found a small, localized nodule in his lung that he said was detected early. They advised him to undergo the procedure to remove it, he added.

“I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers,” Pope Leo said in a social media post.

What Is Lung Adenocarcinoma?

The American Cancer Society says lung adenocarcinoma can occur in people who smoke and among those who used to smoke cigarettes or tobacco. However, it is considered the most common type of lung cancer in individuals who don’t smoke.

“It is more common in women than in men, and it is more likely to occur in younger people than other types of lung cancer,” the cancer society says on its website.

Pope Leo is not known to have been a smoker.

Adenocarcinoma forms in glandular cells, which release substances such as mucus. They occur in multiple areas of the body, such as the lungs, says the Lung Cancer Foundation of America on its website.

“Adenocarcinoma of the lung begins in glandular cells located on the outer part of the lungs, and it is more likely to be found before it has spread than other lung cancers because it tends to grow more slowly,” the foundation says.

The disease tends to affect older people. Most who are diagnosed with lung cancer are at least age 65, it says.

Aside from smoking, other causes of lung adenocarcinoma can include exposure to asbestos, secondhand smoke, and exposure to toxins such as radon, diesel, tar, and soot, according to the Lung Cancer Group.

“The average life expectancy of a lung adenocarcinoma patient is 11-14 months. However, some patients have gone on to live much longer, becoming lung adenocarcinoma survivors depending on their treatment plan,” the group says.