Pope Leo walking and recovering after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo, aged 71, has begun to walk and has resumed a normal diet following a roughly 90-minute surgical procedure to remove a growth from his lung, according to medical updates shared by the Vatican. Doctors noted that the pontiff has also undergone respiratory physiotherapy as part of his post-operative care.

Blood tests and an X-ray early on Wednesday demonstrated that his recovery is proceeding normally. The medical team anticipates that the pontiff will remain hospitalized for approximately one week to recuperate fully.

The surgery followed the Pope's Sunday announcement that he would undergo a procedure to remove a lung growth. Pre-operative tests suspected the nodule, and subsequent examination confirmed it was lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of cancer that develops in mucus-producing cells and is sometimes detected early during routine screenings.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

A Vatican source told news agency AFP that further tests were conducted to determine if the cancer had spread. The Vatican emphasized that the pontiff was generally fit and displayed no symptoms of infection or illness prior to the operation. The news has startled Catholics worldwide, many of whom recall the hospital visits of Pope Leo's predecessor who passed away last year.

Source: BBC World