Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has announced that he will undergo 'very serious ' surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his abdomen . In an emotional press conference on Thursday , the 45-year-old politician said he met with doctors who told him chemotherapy and radiation have shrunk the tumor to a size where they can operate . Four surgeons will carry out the eight- to ten-hour operation on May 11 , and he will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days , he said . He hopes to return to work in September . ' I 'm just lucky to be alive today and I 'm just lucky that I 'm getting another chance at life , ' he said . Scroll down for video . Emotional : Rob Ford announced on Thursday that he will undergo a lengthy operation to remove a cancerous tumor from his abdomen in May . He hopes to return to work as a councilor in September , he said . Ford was diagnosed with malignant liposarcoma - a rare type of soft tissue cancer that begins in fat cells or fatty tissue - last year , forcing him to quit his bid for re-election for mayor . Instead , he ran for his old seat in city council and won . The success came after he acknowledged in 2013 that he had smoked crack cocaine in one of his 'drunken stupors ' - but despite the emergence of embarrassing footage of him allegedly taking the drug , he refused to resign and instead completed a stint at rehab . The City Council stripped Ford of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he was n't convicted of a crime . Ford 's antics made him the target of late-night television comedians in the US . Battle : Ford , pictured talking to deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong last December , has undergone five rounds of chemotherapy and nearly a month of radiation , which has shrunk his tumor significantly . Having a laugh : Toronto 's Chief Budget Officer Councillor Frank Di Giorgio is pictured with Ford during a budget meeting in January 2014 - before the embattled mayor headed to rehab . 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 . ' After his cancer diagnosis , his brother Doug took his place in the mayoral race but he lost out to Mayor John Tory . He underwent 27 days of radiation and five rounds of chemotherapy and the 14cm tumor found in his lower abdomen has now shrunk to a manageable size , 5.6 by 4.3 by 4.6 cm , he said . He said doctors are optimistic but there ’ s a chance the cancer could come back after surgery . Ford thanked his wife Renata - who was at the press conference - his family and the people of Toronto , as well as his medical staff , for their support .
Ford announced at a press conference on Thursday that he will undergo a 8-10 hour surgery to remove a tumor on last year . He was diagnosed with malignant liposarcoma - a rare type of soft tissue cancer that begins in fat cells or fatty tissue - May 11 . He had refused to step down as mayor in light of his crack and alcohol binges , but the diagnosis forced him to give up the role . But he ran for his old seat in city council and won .