Mike VI, LSU’s live tiger mascot, is battling a malignant and “extremely rare” form of cancer, The Advocate reported Monday. His life expectancy ranges from a few months to one to two years, depending on treatment.
Recent swelling on the right side of Mike’s face prompted his veterinarian, David Baker, to run diagnostic tests on the tiger May 12. A team of specialists determined a tumor found in his face was spindle cell sarcoma, a rare cancer that often forms within connective tissue beneath the skin or between muscles. As in Mike’s case, it often starts as an inflamed, growing lump.