Vets use cancer therapy for first time on a snake

A 15-foot (4.5-meter) reticulated python at Chester Zoo has become the first known snake to undergo electrochemotherapy after a cancerous tumor returned and began invading part of her jawbone, the zoo said Friday.

The 50-kilogram python, named Jodie Foster, was diagnosed with a malignant fibrosarcoma after keepers noticed she was eating less and spending more time inactive. Vets initially removed the tumor, but it later returned.

Zoo veterinarians worked with specialists from the University of Liverpool to adapt electrochemotherapy for Jodie. The treatment combines the cancer drug bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses that temporarily make cancer cells more permeable, allowing the drug to enter more effectively.

Ian Ashpole, a veterinary officer at Chester Zoo, said the team feared the recurring tumor would eventually prevent Jodie from eating.

“As far as we're aware, this is the first time it's ever been used in one,” he said, referring to electrochemotherapy's use in a snake.

During the 90-minute procedure, Ashpole removed the tumor and part of Jodie's diseased jawbone before the electrochemotherapy was administered. Because of her size, two operating tables were pushed together.

Despite losing part of her jawbone, Jodie's appetite and ability to hunt have not been affected. A final check this week found no signs of the cancer recurring, according to the zoo.