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Doctor Says Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Has 'Rare ... Difficult' Cancer

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in December 2013.
Chris Young
/
The Canadian Press
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in December 2013.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who made international news after he admitted to smoking crack, has cancer.

That's according to his doctor, a colorectal surgeon, who confirmed the diagnosis during a press conference on Wednesday.

The Toronto Star reports:

"Dr. Zane Cohen, the renowned colorectal surgeon, said Wednesday that Ford has a malignant liposarcoma. He will be treated with chemotherapy, Cohen said.

"Cohen would not say what the chances are of a full recovery. He said he is 'optimistic,' but he also said Ford has a 'very rare tumour and a very difficult tumour.'

"The tumour is 'fairly aggressive,' he said, and has likely been present for two or three years. It is about 12 centimetres by 12 centimetres. The cancer is not in the colon or liver."

As we reported, after a long and sometimes bizarre year, Ford gave up on his re-election bid. His brother Doug will run in his place.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.