Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to undergo first round of chemo in coming days

Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto. Photo courtesy of Ford’s Facebook page.

TORONTO—Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will spend the next few days undergoing his first round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of cancer.

Doctors say Ford has an abdominal tumour diagnosed as malignant liposarcoma—a type of cancer that arises from fat cells and can attack a variety of soft tissues.

The doctor leading Ford’s care team says the tumour—which is 12 centimetres by 12 centimetres in size—is an aggressive one that is being met with an equally aggressive treatment plan.

Dr. Zane Cohen of Mount Sinai Hospital says physicians are optimistic about their treatment for the mayor, who was found to have a tumour last Wednesday, although doctors didn’t know if it was cancerous.

Ford’s brother says the mayor has been devastated by the diagnosis but is determined to fight the disease.

News of Ford having cancer drew expressions of sympathy from politicians of all stripes and made headlines across the world.

The 45-year-old has gained international notoriety over the past year for a series of scandals touched off by the discovery of a video which appeared to show him smoking crack cocaine.

After months of denials, Ford admitted to drug use amid his “drunken stupors” and then drew the global spotlight once more with the surfacing of videos which appeared to show the mayor making offensive and profane comments.