Apple CEO Steve Jobs apparently underwent a liver transplant about two months ago during his medical leave of absence from the Cupertino-based company he co-founded, according to the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Jobs took a medical leave of absence from Apple in January and is expected to return to work in the coming weeks.
Mr. Jobs traveled to Tennessee for the operation several weeks ago, and according to reports is recovering well. He previously underwent treatment for pancreatic cancer and has been recovering for the past few years. Concern over his health, however, continued to rise as he lost weight.
The liver transplant may have been directly tied to Mr. Job's pancreatic cancer. According to Doctor William Hawkins, a pancreatic and gastrointestinal expert at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the type of cancer Mr. Jobs suffered from often reappears in other organs.
"All total, 75 percent of patients are going to have the disease spread over the course of their life," he said.
Apple isn't elaborating on Mr. Jobs's condition, but the company is optimistic that its charismatic leader will be back on the job soon. "Steve continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there's nothing further to say," commented Apple spokeperson Katie Cotton.