LSU mascot Mike the Tiger diagnosed with cancer

Sad news out of Baton Rouge where LSU live mascot Mike the Tiger has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Mike the Tiger is battling a rare form of cancer after a CT scan revealed why the LSU mascot had some swelling on the side of his face.

The scan revealed Mike has a tumor near his nose and a biopsy led to a diagnosis of spindle cell sarcoma. According to LSU, “this is a malignant tumor derived from fibrous connective tissues of the bone. This is an extremely rare form of cancer, but this type of cancer is unlikely to spread to other areas of the body.”

Mike’s veterinarian, David Baker, DVM, Ph.D. consulted with specialists around the country and at LSU to determine a course of action for Mike after his cancer diagnosis.

According to LSU, Mike will undergo a “highly sophisticated form of radiation therapy called “Stereotactic radiotherapy,” or SRT. SRT delivers radiation to the tumor in a highly focused manner, sparing surrounding, normal tissues so complications are reduced.” Treatment may be given as a single, high dose or as fractionated doses given daily for up to three days.

They believed if Mike was left untreated he would have a life expectancy of 1-2 months.

However, with treatment, his cancer won’t be cured, but he can live comfortably for another 1-2 years.

You can read more about the history of Mike the Tiger at LSU here.

More saturday blitz: Top 30 College Mascots of All-Time

Also, for more on Mike the Tiger and where he stacks up against the best mascots in college football, you can visit our gallery in the link above to see the best mascots in the game.