Toronto mayor and perennial headline-maker Rob Ford removed his name from the running for re-election today amid news that doctors discovered a tumor in his abdomen. His brother, Councillor Doug Ford, will reportedly run for mayor in next month's election in his stead.

Doug Ford told the Toronto Sun his brother, who is currently at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital, is in "the fight for his life," though the extent of his illness isn't completely clear. The tumor is in the lower left quadrant of Ford's abdomen, according to doctors, and he has received a biopsy and CT scan for further identification. The mayor has reportedly been in pain for several month.

The deadline for declaring candidacy in the October 27 election is at 2 p.m. today, the Vancouver Sun notes, and it's unclear whether Doug Ford will be able to submit paperwork in time. Doug Ford will address the press this afternoon.

UPATE: According to Toronto news outlet CP24, Doug Ford will officially run for mayor, and Rob Ford will run councillor in Toronto's Ward 2.

[Image via Ford Nation]