NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Pope Leo XIV is up and moving after having part of his lung removed. After undergoing thoracic surgery on Tuesday, during which surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung, examination of the tissue confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, or lung cancer, according to the Vatican. The Pope, 71, has spent four days recovering at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, after the successful procedure. MEDICINE ALONG WITH FAITH On Friday, the Vatican published the first photos of Pope Leo after the operation. The Pope appears standing before an altar in green vestments, celebrating mass in a makeshift chapel at the hospital where he distributed communion. The Pope celebrates Mass for several members of the medical staff on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital, on October 16, 2026, in Rome, Italy. (Vatican Media/Abaca/Sipa USA via AP Images)According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, several members of Gemelli’s medical and nursing staff and members of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps attended the service. POPE LEO’S LUNG TUMOR RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT CANCER RISK FOR NON-SMOKERS “In his homily, the Pope thanked all staff (doctors, nurses and orderlies) for the work they do every day. “We care for patients in their fragility and especially for what they have done and continue to do for him,” the statement said. The Vatican also confirmed on Friday that the Pope’s recovery continues with “improvement.” constant improvement in his general condition.” On his fourth day in the hospital, Pope Leo XIV’s doctors said new blood tests and a chest “Pope’s post-surgery recovery allows him to carry out his daily activities with complete independence.” Pope Leo is scheduled to make his first public appearance since the procedure on Sunday during the noon Angelus, which he normally leads. NEVER SMOKED A CIGARETTE? YOU COULD STILL BE AT HIGHER RISK FOR LUNG CANCER Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said the Pope’s procedure included a small incision with VAT. (video-assisted thoracoscopy), which involves less pain and a faster recovery. The Pope has been in good health “to start” and is very active, which plays an “important role in the recovery,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. Pope Leo “The loss of one lobe, when there are three in total on the right, should not have a major impact on daily activity, especially with pain controlled,” the doctor added. In a separate Fox News Digital interview, Lary Robinson, an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, shared his surprise about the Pope’s health. About 80% of lung cancers occur in people who smoke or have smoked, said Robinson, who has not treated the Pope. However, he noted that lung cancer lung also occurs among never smokers, including approximately 10% of male patients and 25% of female patients CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES”But. [the pope] He had surgery and a lobectomy, so this is usually only done with people who have localized disease, and presumably he had localized disease. And, hopefully, it’s a stage 1 cancer,” the doctor added. Pope Leo directly to surgery suggests there was probably no evidence that the cancer had spread. TRY OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE EXAM “We’ll have to wait for the pathology to determine… if he needs any additional treatment afterwards,” Robinson said CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The Pope’s planned trip to South America in November is reportedly still scheduled, although his participation remains in doubt due to his recovery.
