Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford dead at age 46, family says

Rob Ford, the long-time Toronto politician who became known for his personal troubles as much as his penny-pinching ways on city council, has died at the age of 46.

Ford passed away following a battle with a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer known as pleomorphic liposarcoma.

There have been no announcements concerning a memorial, nor what will happen with his now vacant council seat in Ward 2.

The city councillor’s chief of staff released a statement late Thursday saying Ford’s family was by the politician’s side in hospital and was asking for privacy while thanking well-wishers for their support.

Jacobs sent out a statement today on behalf of the family announcing the passing of their beloved son, brother, husband and father.

Ford was diagnosed with cancer in September 2014, less than a year after he confessed to smoking crack while in one of his “drunken stupors.” The illness forced him to withdraw from his bid for re-election as mayor and he ran instead for a seat on city council, winning in a landslide despite his notoriety.

What is liposarcoma?

Liposarcoma is a rare cancer of connective tissues that resemble fat cells under a microscope. It accounts for up to 18% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Liposarcoma can occur in almost any part of the body, but more than half of liposarcoma cases involve the thigh, and up to a third involve the abdominal cavity.

Liposarcoma tends to affects adults between the ages of 40 and 60. When it does occur in children, it is usually during the teenage years.

Agencies/Canadajournal