Mike VI, LSU’s live tiger mascot, is battling a malignant and “extremely rare” form of cancer, according to the university. 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 diagnosed a tumor found in the tiger’s face as spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of 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.