ROME, Oct. 15 — Pope Leo XIV walked in his hospital room and resumed regular meals Wednesday, one day after surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, as the Vatican reported an expected recovery but gave no details on the cancer’s stage.
The Oct. 13 procedure at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital removed the lower lobe on the right side of Leo’s lung. Surgeons used a video-guided method, the Holy See Press Office said.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes, and Leo spent about three hours in the operating theatre, the office said. He woke normally and returned to his room; the surgery had no complications. An examination of tissue during the procedure confirmed lung adenocarcinoma that doctors had suspected from earlier tests, according to the office.
In an Oct. 14 update, the Holy See Press Office said blood work and a chest X-ray were within the range doctors expected after the procedure. Leo received respiratory physiotherapy, walked in his room and ate regular meals, the update said. Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora described his recovery as “proceeding as expected.”
Vatican updates have not stated the cancer’s stage or whether it had spread. The Holy See Press Office said further examinations of tissue removed during surgery were planned for the following days. The Associated Press reported Oct. 14 that lymph-node test results had not been made public as of its report.
The Vatican had estimated Leo would remain in the hospital for about one week and canceled audiences through Oct. 20. The Associated Press reported that, as of Oct. 14, no changes had been announced to his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
