Ex-mayor Ford's cancerous tumor has shrunk in half

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TORONTO (AP) — Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's cancerous tumor has shrunk in half with chemotherapy treatment, his brother said Tuesday.

Doug Ford said the tumor — which doctors had initially said was 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) by 12 centimeters in size — is now down to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) by 6 centimeters.

Doug Ford says his brother will be finishing a fifth round of chemotherapy soon and will also get radiation treatment.

Ford was diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer called liposarcoma in September and dropped his bid for mayoral re-election shortly afterward. Instead, he ran for a seat on the city council and won.

In late November, Rob Ford said his tumor had not shrunk, but had not gotten larger either.

While the family is happy to now be getting more positive news, Doug Ford said his brother still has a long journey ahead of him, calling it an "emotional roller-coaster."

"He's doing well," Doug Ford said, adding: "I'm all smiles."

Rob Ford's term as mayor was plagued by scandals involving public drinking and crack cocaine use. After months of denials, Ford in 2013 acknowledged he had smoked crack cocaine in one of his "drunken stupors," but he refused to resign. The City Council stripped Ford of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he wasn't convicted of a crime.

Ford's antics made him the target of late-night television comedians in the U.S. Last March, he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after months of wooing by the talk-show host, who introduced his guest by saying he "has tripped, bumped, danced, argued and smoked his way into our national consciousness."