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 wasn'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 May 11 . He was diagnosed with malignant liposarcoma - a rare type of soft tissue cancer that begins in fat cells or fatty tissue - last year . 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 .