Python named Jodie Foster first snake to get human cancer therapy

A 4m (15ft) reticulated python named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster has made a full recovery after receiving electrochemotherapy, a cancer treatment normally used in humans, at Chester Zoo. The 23-year-old snake is believed to be the first of its kind to undergo this pioneering procedure Source: BBC.

The diagnosis

Keepers first noticed Jodie eating less and spending more time inactive. Tests revealed a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour, in her jaw. Although surgery initially removed the tumour, it returned and began destroying her jawbone, threatening her ability to eat Source: The Guardian.

The treatment

Vets adapted electrochemotherapy, which combines the drug bleomycin with electrical pulses to make cancer cells more permeable, for the snake. The procedure took 90 minutes, with two operating tables pushed together to accommodate her size Source: The Guardian. Ian Ashpole, veterinary officer at Chester Zoo, said: "We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumour made it more and more difficult for her to eat, so we worked with cancer specialists to see whether we could adapt electrochemotherapy for a snake. As far as we're aware, this is the first time it's ever been used in one" Source: BBC.

The outcome

Months after the procedure, Jodie is eating normally and "back to her usual bright and feisty self" Source: The Guardian. A final check confirmed no signs of the cancer returning. The team, including specialists from the University of Liverpool, plans to publish details of the procedure to help other vets Source: The Guardian.