Pope Leo XIV Recovering 'As Expected' After Lung Cancer Surgery, Doctors Report

Pope Leo XIV is making steady progress following surgery to remove part of his lung, with physicians at Rome's Gemelli Hospital describing his recovery as "proceeding as expected," according to an update released by the Vatican.

The 71-year-old pontiff has already begun walking again and has returned to eating normally after undergoing the roughly 90-minute operation, the medical team reported. Blood tests and a chest X-ray carried out in the early hours of Wednesday morning confirmed that his post-surgical condition was developing along normal lines, and he has also started respiratory physiotherapy to aid his recuperation.

The surgery, performed on Tuesday afternoon, was declared "successful" by the Vatican and took place without any complications. During the procedure, doctors removed the entire lower lobe of the Pope's right lung, a decision the Vatican said was taken "to ensure the procedure was radical" — meaning surgeons wanted to eliminate all potentially diseased tissue rather than leave any margin of uncertainty.

The operation followed a diagnosis that emerged only after the removed tissue was examined. Although imaging tests before surgery had already raised suspicions, it was the pathological analysis of the lobe that confirmed the pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer that develops in the cells responsible for producing mucus in the lungs.

Pope Leo had announced his impending hospitalisation during his regular Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square, telling the assembled crowd that doctors had detected a "well-contained" nodule on his lung "at an early stage" and had recommended its removal. Nodules of this kind are relatively common and are not automatically malignant, but in this case the medical team confirmed the growth was cancerous, matching what pre-operative tests had suggested.

A Vatican source told the news agency AFP that additional testing was being carried out to determine whether the cancer had spread beyond the lung. The Vatican has emphasised that the Pope, who is generally regarded as being in good physical condition, had shown no symptoms of infection or illness prior to the discovery.

Following the operation, the Pope regained consciousness normally and was returned to his private room after a brief period under observation. He spent what the Vatican described as a "peaceful night" in hospital and is expected to remain there for approximately one week while he recovers.

The news has reverberated among Catholics around the world, many of whom retain vivid and recent memories of the hospital stays of Pope Leo's predecessor. Pope Francis, who died last year, had part of a lung removed during his youth and later endured a series of respiratory infections that repeatedly raised concerns about his health in his final years.

Lung adenocarcinoma is among the most frequently diagnosed forms of lung cancer. Its long-term outlook varies considerably depending on factors such as the stage at which the disease is identified and the patient's general state of health. Cases detected early — sometimes incidentally during routine scans before any symptoms appear — generally carry a more favourable prognosis, and treatment options have advanced significantly over recent decades. When the disease is caught at a later stage, patients may experience persistent coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.

The Pope's medical team has not yet provided a detailed staging of the cancer, and further test results are anticipated in the coming days. The Vatican has stressed that all updates will continue to be issued through official channels, urging the faithful to rely on verified information rather than speculation.

The pontiff's decision to publicise his diagnosis and treatment has drawn attention to the importance of early detection. Experts note that regular screening and prompt investigation of unusual findings can make a substantial difference in outcomes for lung cancer patients, and the Pope's openness about his condition may encourage others to seek timely medical advice.

For now, the focus remains on the Pope's immediate recovery. His doctors have indicated that his progress so far is consistent with what would be expected for a patient of his age and fitness following this type of thoracic surgery. The next milestone will be his discharge from Gemelli Hospital, expected in about a week, after which he will continue rehabilitation and monitoring at the Vatican.

The coming days will also bring clarity on the results of the further tests investigating whether the cancer has remained localised. Those findings will shape decisions about any additional treatment, such as chemotherapy or targeted therapy, and will inform the longer-term prognosis. Until then, the Vatican's message has been one of cautious optimism, grounded in the doctors' assessment that the recovery is unfolding as planned.