Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford is receiving treatment that is 'palliative in nature' after his recent chemotherapy treatment was deemed unsuccessful, according to a statement released on behalf of the Ford family on Monday.
Dan Jacobs, Councillor Ford's former staffer, told CP24 that Ford's current level of care is to make him more comfortable and should not be considered end-of-life care.
A statement recently released on behalf of the Ford family specifies that Councillor Ford has "not been transferred to any kind of 'palliative care unit,' he remains on the same floor, and on the same wing where he has received his chemothreapy treatments."
According to the statement, the care being administered to Ford at Mount Sinai is "typical for those who are diagnosed with serious illnesses and injuries" and that the type of care Ford is receiving is to "deal with symptomatic issues, such as pain and discomfort, and physical and mental stress, and to allow the patient to be as comfortable as possible."
"We have not been given any indication of when he could possibly be discharged or a different treatment course be attempted, but they have also been clear that he still faces challenges."
Ford, now a city councillor, re-started chemotherapy in November after doctors found two new cancerous tumors on his bladder. He was diagnosed last year with liposarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer that attacks fat cells.
It was revealed on Thursday that the chemo treatment was not successful. He has remained at Mount Sinai Hospital for the past three weeks as doctors try and determine whether the 46-year-old is strong enough to undergo more treatment.
Currently, Ford is under 24-hour medical care with his family at his side.
On Thursday, Jacobs told reporters that there has been no charge in Ford’s condition after a statement was released to dispel rumours of his passing.
Full statement on behalf of the Ford family below:
At this time, the treatment that Councillor Ford is receiving is palliative in nature. To be clear, he has not been transferred to any kind of 'palliative care unit', he remains on the same floor, and on the same wing where he has received his chemotherapy treatments. Palliative care is often administered in conjunction with other treatments, and he has in fact been receiving it almost since first becoming diagnosed, both at home and the hospital. This is quite typical for those who are diagnosed with serious illnesses and injuries. The purpose of palliative care is to deal with symptomatic issues, such as pain and discomfort, and physical and mental stress, and to allow the patient to be as comfortable as possible.
Part of his palliative care includes sedation, which is also an element of the team's pain management. As Councillor Ford and his brother Doug have said several times throughout the course of treatment, pain has been an ongoing issue, and the Councillor is now resting comfortably thanks to the efforts of his medical team.
Doctors have been clear since Councillor Ford's diagnosis that he is dealing with an extremely serious illness. We have not been given any indication of when he could possibly be discharged or a different treatment course be attempted, but they have also been clear that he still faces challenges. They are very concerned with the reappearance and progression of the disease, but everyone is hopeful that his body will be able to fight back enough that he can then undergo further treatment.
