For the first time in history: Breakthrough treatment cured a reticulated python named "Jodie Foster" from cancer
A 23-year-old reticulated python, 4.5 meters long and weighing 50 kg, recovered from a malignant tumor in its jaw after undergoing a rare electrochemotherapy procedure at Chester Zoo in England. The treatment, conducted in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, was applied to reptiles for the first time. The snake, named "Jodie Foster," has returned to eating normally and to full activity.
A 23-year-old reticulated python, 4.5 meters long and weighing 50 kg, has fully recovered from a malignant tumor in its jaw after undergoing an electrochemotherapy procedure at Chester Zoo in England. The treatment, conducted in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, was applied to reptiles for the first time ever. The snake, known as "Jodie Foster" to its keepers for two decades, has returned to eating normally and to the activity level it had before treatment, with no signs of the disease returning. The medical drama began when keepers noticed a behavioral change: the snake became lethargic and began eating less. Tests revealed a malignant tumor in the jaw, which was initially removed surgically but returned and spread into the jawbone. For the complex surgery, which lasted about 90 minutes, two operating tables were connected to accommodate the snake's enormous size. Veterinarian Dr. Ian Ashpole removed the tumor along with part of the jawbone, and then the team proceeded with electrochemotherapy. This method combines low doses of chemotherapy drugs with short electrical pulses, which increase the permeability of cancer cell membranes and allow the drug to penetrate them. The technology is used to treat humans and in recent years also pets, but its use in exotic animals is extremely rare. The procedure was a collaboration between the zoo's veterinarians and experts from the University of Liverpool. Following the success, the team plans to publish a detailed scientific article about the case, which will serve as a professional guide for colleagues worldwide.