Rob Ford Has Rare, Aggressive Cancer

Toronto mayor will start chemotherapy
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 17, 2014 5:00 PM CDT
Rob Ford Has Rare, Aggressive Cancer
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in a July file photo.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young, file)

Doctors spelled out the health troubles of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford today, and the news isn't good. The 45-year-old has a malignant abdominal tumor that the mayor's lead physician called "rare," "difficult," and "fairly aggressive," reports the Globe and Mail. Ford will start chemo this week to treat the cancer, called liposarcoma. Dr. Zane Cohen of Mount Sinai Hospital did not speculate on the chances of a full recovery, but he said he's "optimistic" in part because Ford "is a very strong person." The tumor is 12 centimeters by 12 centimeters and has likely been present for at least two years. Doctors found another nodule on Ford's buttock.

The news comes with five weeks to go before the city elects a new mayor. Ford dropped out of the race last week and is instead running for his old council seat. Brother Doug Ford is now running against two challengers for the mayor's post. "It's a tough day," said Doug Ford outside the hospital, reports the Toronto Star. Rob Ford was stripped of most of his powers as mayor last year, and he is expected to keep his title while he undergoes treatment rather than take a formal leave of absence. (More Rob Ford stories.)

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