What type of cancer did Rob Ford have? (Getty)
Robert Bruce Ford, the controversial former mayor of Toronto, passed away at the young age of 46 after a long battle with cancer. He left behind his wife, Renata, and two young children, Stephanie and Dougie. His own father died of a different type of cancer in 2006. What type of cancer did Rob have and what type of treatments was he seeking?
Here’s what you need to know.
He Died of a Rare Form of Cancer Called Pleomorphic Liposarcoma
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford died of a rare cancer. (Getty)
Ford had been battling pleomorphic liposarcoma, a cancer that grows in fat cells, for a long time. Although the exact cause of his death hasn’t been released, it was recently reported that his latest rounds of chemotherapy had failed. His family released the following statement:
In 2014, he dropped out of the Toronto mayor race after being hospitalized for cancer. His brother, Doug, entered the race in his place and lost the election.
Pleomorphic liposarcoma is an aggressive cancer found in the fat cells. It’s extremely rare and grows fast, according to Live Science. Sarcomas are cancers that begin in the soft tissue, such as fat, joints, muscles, nerves, or blood vessels. Soft tissue sarcomas are very rare, adding up to less than 1 percent of all adult cancers. Ford’s cancer is the rarest of the liposarcomas.
In May 2015, Ford had cancer surgery to remove a large and dangerous tumor from his abdomen, CBC reported. He was released from the hospital two weeks after the surgery. At the time, he said he told his children that he was going to be OK, but it was very emotional explaining his illness to his kids.
In October 2015, Rob Ford was hospitalized at Mount Sinai Hospital with abdominal pain. Doctors found a tumor that they were 99 percent sure was malignant, CBC reported. Rob said that his family was caught off guard by the discovery. “All I can do is fight, and I’ll keep fighting until the day I die,” he said.
He Was Receiving an Experimental Chemotherapy Treatment
Rob Ford has been receiving a targeted chemotherapy treatment called the Panov program at Mount Sinai Hospital. Pieces of his tumor are implanted into mice, grown for about three months, and then different types of chemo treatments are tested to see which work best, CBC reported. The success rate can be high for this type of treatment, but Rob’s cancer may have already progressed too far.
He leaves behind his wife, Renata, and two children, Stephanie and Dougie. Ford said one of the toughest things about being sick was explaining the illness to his children. Renata and Ford’s children have tried, for the most part, to stay out of the spotlight.
A “Get Well” webpage was created by Doug for his brother, Rob, in order to encourage him and his family. The webpage has more than 3,000 comments wishing him the best and praying for him and his family.
This isn’t the first time the Ford family has dealt with a death from cancer. Rob Ford’s father, Doug Sr., died of colon cancer in 2006, according to Toronto Life.
is a news, entertainment & science/tech contributor to Heavy. She’s also a featured cat blogger for CatTime, runs a post-apocalyptic blog, and is a guest writer for a number of publications. In her spare time, Stephanie writes screenplays and novels about sci-fi mysteries. You can follow her on Twitter at @StephanieDube or contact her by email here. March 22, 2016 11:13 am
How Did Rob Ford Die? #JHedzWorlD
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