By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Pope Leo's recovery from surgery for lung cancer was going as planned and the 71-year-old pontiff has started to do a little work again, the Vatican said on Thursday.
Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in an operation on Tuesday afternoon.
Routine check-ups on the pontiff yielded normal results and a chest X-ray showed a good recovery of his lung,
the doctors said on Thursday in their latest update.
Leo carried out daily activities independently and did physiotherapy with a full range of physical movements, they added.
The cancer diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy as he deals with the illness.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS CANCELLED UNTIL TUESDAY
The Vatican has said the surgery was completed successfully, without complications. It has not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
Leo's public engagements have been cancelled until next Tuesday. His pathology report, which will be key to deciding what further treatment he may require, may not be available for several days.
The Vatican's medical bulletins on Leo's condition are being signed by the pope's lead surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Luigi Carbone.
The Vatican, long reticent to discuss papal health, has been unusually transparent in Leo's case, in contrast to that of his predecessor Francis, who did not usually announce his hospital visits in advance, sometimes sparking a media frenzy over his health.
The pope himself announced to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Sunday that a "localized nodule" had been found in his lung and he needed surgery. He also said it was detected early and was well contained.
He is being treated at Rome's Gemelli hospital, known as the "hospital of the popes".
TRUMP SENDS HIS BEST WISHES
US President Donald Trump, who has clashed with Leo on a number of issues, including the Iran war, added his voice on Wednesday to the global chorus of goodwill for the ailing pope.
"I want to see Pope Leo get well," Trump told reporters. "I just want to wish him well, get better fast."
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, also added his prayers.
"May God grant him strength as he works to get better. I hope he knows that millions of American Christians are thinking about him," Vance wrote on X.
Leo normally has a packed schedule. He is due to make a tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17 and the Vatican press office repeated on Thursday that plans for the trip have so far not been changed.
However, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori said on Wednesday that the dates could change because of the amount of time that Leo's recovery might take.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Alison Williams)
