Pope Leo XIV is recovering after cancer surgery, according to his doctors
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Pope Leo XIV is eating regularly and began walking and doing breathing exercises on Wednesday, with normal post-operative tests following surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his lung, the Vatican reported. His two doctors, Dr. Luigi Carbone and thoracic surgeon Stefano Margaritora, provided the update. Blood tests and a chest X-ray confirmed a normal post-operative recovery, with levels within the normal range, they said. "The Holy Father has undergone respiratory physiotherapy and has started walking in his room. He resumed his usual diet and had breakfast and lunch," they reported. "The recovery is proceeding as expected." Tuesday's surgery revealed that the 71-year-old Pope has the most common type of lung cancer, known as adenocarcinoma. Experts stated that further tests are needed to determine if the disease has spread and if additional treatment is required, but those test results were not available on Wednesday. The revelation came just hours after an operation that was announced by Leo himself, providing further evidence that the American pontiff is adopting a new approach to communicating about his health. The Vatican said the surgery lasted approximately 90 minutes and was successful, without complications. Doctors were awaiting the results of other tests before deciding on a treatment course, the Vatican said. The Vatican press office noted that the medical statement referred to the "radical" removal of the lobe as an indication that the doctors removed all suspicious tissue in hopes of eliminating any lingering traces of cancer. The right lung has three sections or lobes, while the left has two. After a lobe is removed, the remaining lung can gradually compensate, especially in otherwise healthy and physically active individuals. Leo is known to be athletic, playing tennis and swimming weekly.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
