Former mayor Rob Ford has been admitted to hospital amid an ongoing battle with a rare form of cancer.

According to his brother Doug, Ford was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital five days ago and is in a “real fight.”

“Rob is in a real fight like anyone that has been facing this terrible disease,” Ford said. “He needs a little push. Give him a call, say hello, send him an email. That’s what keeps him going, that’s what keeps our whole family going.”

In September 2014, doctors found a 12 centimetres by 12 centimetres tumour in Ford’s abdomen and prescribed an aggressive treatment plan that eventually culminated in a major surgery to remove the tumour in May.

Following that surgery Ford appeared to be on the mend but in October he had a setback when it was discovered that he had two cancerous tumours on his bladder and would have to begin another round of chemotherapy.

At the time, Ford told reporters that he would keep fighting but was having an increasingly hard time seeing “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I am optimistic but I am a realist too. If this has spread once where else has it gone? Ford said. “If I pass before my time I just ask people to please try to help out (children) Dougie and Stephanie and (wife) Renata in any way that you can.”

Ford suffers from a soft tissue cancer known as pleomorphic liposarcoma.