Pope Leo’s Lung Cancer Surgery Recovery Proceeding as Expected

Pope Leo's recovery from a lung cancer surgery is progressing as expected, according to his medical team. The pontiff has received supportive messages globally, including a letter from King Charles of Britain.

Leo underwent surgery late on Tuesday to remove a cancerous mass from his right lung. Following respiratory therapy on Wednesday, he began walking in his hospital room and resumed normal eating, as reported by his doctors, Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritoria, in a Vatican-issued statement.

Post-operative tests, including a blood test and chest X-ray, indicated “normal progress,” with results within the expected range for the procedure. The surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital confirmed that Leo, 71, has adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. However, the Vatican has not yet disclosed further test results to determine if the cancer has spread or if additional treatment is necessary.

The diagnosis has been surprising for Leo, who became the first US-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025. In a rare act of transparency, the pope announced during his Sunday Angelus prayer that doctors had detected a small nodule on his lung during a checkup. He described it as “well-contained” and identified early.

Messages of support have come from around the world. King Charles, who is also undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, privately wrote to Leo, a source informed Agence France-Presse. Charles and Queen Camilla previously met the pope during their visit to the Vatican in October last year.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, expressed wishes for Leo’s full and swift recovery on X, highlighting the pontiff as “a source of hope and inspiration for billions around the world.”

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that he and his wife, Jeanette, were praying for the pope. The couple had met Leo at the Vatican in May. There has been no public response yet from former President Donald Trump, who had earlier disagreements with Leo over the US-Israeli conflict in Iran, or from the US Vice President, JD Vance, a Catholic.

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, wrote on X, praising Leo’s serenity and strength as an inspiration. She expressed hope for his quick recovery.

Before the surgery, all of Leo’s appointments until 20 October were canceled. He had recently embarked on a papal trip to France in September and is scheduled for a 12-day journey to South America in November, covering 10 cities.