As you may know by now, Apple's chief is recovering from a major health problem.

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs has survived an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his pancreas, Reuters reports. Apple has been surprisingly forthcoming about Jobs' illness considering its reputation for secrecy.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs has had successful surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, the company's co-founder told employees in a company-wide e-mail on Sunday that was made available to Reuters.

"This weekend I underwent a successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from my pancreas," Jobs wrote in the e-mail. "I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about 1 percent of the total cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year, and can be cured by surgical removal if diagnosed in time (mine was)."

He added that he "will not require any chemotherapy or radiation treatments."

Jobs wrote that he will recuperate during the month of August and expects to return to Cupertino, California-based Apple in September. He is also chief executive of animated film studio Pixar .

Leander Kahney, who follows Apple closely for Wired, says there has been an impressive outpouring of sympathy and support for Jobs (pictured).

News of Steve Jobs' cancer operation has Mac news sites seeing record traffic, forums are bulging with unprecedented numbers of postings, and Apple is being swamped with messages of sympathy.

"Having anyone as well-known, respected and as popular as Steve Jobs announce that kind of news is going to cause an especially strong emotional reaction in the community he helped create," said Chuck Joiner, editor-in-chief of the Macintosh User Group Center , which represents hundreds of Mac user groups. "The sentiments are obviously overwhelmingly supportive. If anyone knew how they could help, they would in a second."

. . ."Traffic to our article about Jobs' surgery is right up there with the biggest stories of the past couple years," said Larry Angell, editor-in-chief of MacMinute , one of the first websites to post the news.

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