Ford biopsy results expected next week: Mount Sinai

Mayor Rob Ford had a biopsy on a mass in his abdomen at Mount Sinai hospital on Thursday and results will be available in “about a week,” colorectal surgeon Dr. Zane Cohen said at a 7 p.m. news conference at the hospital.

Dr. Cohen curtly told anxious reporters that “until we have (the results) there’s very little that I can tell you.”

“Today we did a CT scan and biopsy of the mass in the abdomen,” he said. “We also did a CT scan of the chest and an ultrasound examination.”

Cohen said Ford will undergo an MRI on Friday and a team of medical experts will meet to “decide the next steps.”

“He is resting comfortably,” he added. “He has some pain. We are giving him some pain medication for that. He is surrounded by family members and that’s about it. Not much more than what you heard last night. We are still in a holding pattern.”

Dr. Cohen quickly stamped out requests from the media to speculate on Ford’s prognosis.

“We deal in facts,” he stated. “We don’t have those facts.”

When asked if the stress of the mayoral campaign could have played a factor in Ford’s condition, Cohen quipped, “I’m not a believer in stress-related masses.”

He wouldn’t specify exactly how large the mass is, but said it’s a “fair size” and noted that he has seen benign tumours with similar dimensions.

He also said the exact location of the tumour is still being determined.

“It’s not part of the colon, necessarily, there are a lot of organs there.”

Ford was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital on Thursday afternoon for follow-up and treatment after the tumour was discovered during a CT scan at Humber River Hospital’s Church Street emergency department on Wednesday.

Ford attended the emergency unit after complaining of intense pain.

It’s not the first time Ford has had health problems. He was hospitalized overnight in August 2013 for throat and stomach irritation which aggravated his asthma, his press secretary said at the time.

In February 2011, he was treated for kidney stones at a local hospital.

In 2009, Ford had a tumour on his appendix. His appendix and part of his colon were removed and he was back at work within a few weeks.

Ford also spent two months at a rehab facility in Muskoka this year, leaving Toronto in late April and returning to work on June 30.

Ford is currently seeking re-election, but was trailing rival candidate John Tory in the most recent polls.

The mayor has yet to say whether he’ll continue his campaign for re-election. It’s also not yet known if his brother, Doug Ford, will enter the mayoral race.

Ford has until 2 p.m. on Friday to withdraw his name from the ballot should he decide to do so, while any new candidates have the same deadline to file their papers.

Voters head to the polls on Oct. 27.

With files from The Canadian Press