A 23-year-old reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) at Chester Zoo has recovered from cancer after receiving what is believed to be the world’s first use of electrochemotherapy in a snake. The pioneering procedure combined major surgery with a cancer treatment also used in human medicine.
The 50-kilogram, 15-foot python, named Jodie Foster, developed a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour in her jaw. Keepers first noticed something was wrong when she began eating less and spending more time inactive. Tests confirmed the diagnosis and veterinarians initially removed the tumour, but it later returned and began invading the jawbone.
“When the tumour came back and started destroying part of her jawbone, we knew more surgery on its own probably wasn’t going to be enough,” explained Ian Ashpole, Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo. As the tumour increasingly threatened Jodie’s ability to eat, the zoo contacted cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool to explore another option.
The result was an innovative treatment never previously used in a snake, according to the veterinary team.
Two operating tables for a 50-kilogram python
Treating an animal of Jodie’s size presented some unusual practical challenges. She was anaesthetised in her habitat before being carefully transported to the zoo’s veterinary centre.
At 15 feet — around 4.6 metres — long, she did not fit on a standard operating table. The team therefore placed two tables together, creating a surface approximately the size of a double bed. Heated blankets and warm air were used throughout the procedure to maintain her body temperature.
During the 90-minute operation, Ashpole removed the tumour and performed a hemi-mandibulectomy, removing the diseased portion of the python’s jawbone.
The team then used electrochemotherapy to target cancer cells that might have remained at the site.
Electrical pulses help chemotherapy reach cancer cells
Electrochemotherapy combines a chemotherapy drug — in this case bleomycin — with carefully controlled electrical pulses delivered to the affected area. These pulses temporarily increase the permeability of cancer cells, allowing the drug to enter them more effectively.
The technique can therefore allow lower doses of chemotherapy to be used and, in some cases, treatment can be delivered in a single procedure.
“This was the first time it had been used in a snake,” said Jose Alvarez Picornell of the University of Liverpool’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Science.
“The success of this treatment is a testament to the power of collaboration. By working closely with Ian, we were able to develop a plan that not only benefited Jodie Foster but will also contribute to the wider veterinary community.”
The specialists now intend to formally publish details of the procedure so that veterinarians elsewhere can learn from the approach.
Back in her habitat — and still cancer-free
Despite losing part of her jaw, Jodie’s ability to eat has not been affected. Months of monitoring have shown that she can still strike, grip and swallow food normally.
A final examination carried out this week found no signs that the cancer had returned. Jodie is now back in her habitat and, according to the veterinary team, has returned to her usual “bright and feisty” behaviour.
“A few months ago, we genuinely didn’t know whether she’d survive. Now she’s eating normally, exploring her habitat and behaving exactly as we’d hope,” Ashpole said.
Zoo veterinarians stress that both surgery and electrochemotherapy are thought to have played an important role in the outcome.
Jodie arrived at Chester Zoo 20 years ago and has just turned 23. Her unusual name dates back to her arrival: her paperwork bore the initials “JF”, meaning “juvenile female”, prompting her keepers to name her after actress Jodie Foster.
Reticulated pythons are native to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia. They are currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although the forest habitats on which they depend are declining.
 at Chester Zoo has recovered from cancer after receiving what is believed){kind=link}