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Pope Leo XIV is up and moving after having part of his lung removed.
After undergoing thoracic surgery 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 Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, following the successful procedure.
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On Friday, the Vatican released the first photos of Pope Leo after the operation.
The Pope celebrates Mass for several members of the medical staff on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital, on Oct. 16, 2026, in Rome, Italy. (Photo by (EV) /Vatican Media/ Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images))
The pope is pictured standing at an altar in green vestments, celebrating Mass in a makeshift chapel at the hospital where he distributed communion.
According to a Holy See Press Office statement, several members of Gemelli’s medical and nursing staff and members of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps attended the service.
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“In his homily, the Pope thanked all the staff – doctors, nurses and orderlies – for the work they do every day caring for patients in their frailty, 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 “steady improvement in his overall condition.”
On his fourth day in hospital, Pope Leo XIV’s doctors said new blood tests and a chest X-ray confirm “the steady improvement in his overall condition.” Pictured, the Pope celebrates Mass for several members of the medical staff at the Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 16 in Rome. (Photo by (EV) /Vatican Media/ Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images))
Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora added that the pope’s “post-operative recovery allows him to carry out normal daily activities entirely independently.”
Pope Leo plans to make his first public appearance since the procedure on Sunday during the noon-day Angelus, which he normally leads.
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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 has a quicker recovery.
The pope was in good health “to begin with” and is highly active, which plays a “major role in recovery,” Siegel, who has not treated the Pope, told Fox News Digital.
Pope Leo XIV arrives to hold the weekly general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Feb. 18, 2026. (Remo Casilli/Reuters)
“Since he wasn’t a smoker and likely had very good underlying lung function, loss of a lobe – when there are three total on the right – shouldn’t have a major impact on daily activity, especially with pain controlled,” the doctor added.
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In a separate Fox News Digital interview, Lary Robinson, M.D., an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, shared his surprise regarding the pope’s health status.
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 also occurs among never-smokers — including an estimated 10% of male patients and 25% of female patients.
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“But [the pope] had surgery and had a lobectomy, so this is usually only done with people who have localized disease, and presumably he had localized disease. And hopefully that’s a stage 1 cancer,” the doctor added.
Pope Leo XIV blesses a child at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on March 4, 2026. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP Photo)
If the pope’s cancer is stage 1, there is a “high chance” of cure — about 90%, depending on the size of the tumor, the oncologist said. The fact that he went straight to surgery suggests there was likely no evidence that the cancer had spread.
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“We’ll have to wait for the pathology to determine … whether he needs any additional treatment afterward,” Robinson said.
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The pope’s anticipated trip to South America in November is reportedly still on schedule, though his participation remains in question based on recovery.
