A reticulated python at Chester Zoo has successfully undergone electrochemotherapy, a cancer treatment usually administered to humans, in what veterinarians believe to be a world first for a snake. The 4-meter (15-foot) python, nicknamed Jodie Foster, is now in full recovery after the procedure to remove a cancerous tumor from its jawbone.
Zoo keepers initially noticed the snake was eating less and exhibiting reduced activity. Subsequent tests revealed a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumor, in its jaw. While the tumor was surgically removed once, it returned.
Veterinary officer Ian Ashpole stated that the recurring tumor was beginning to destroy the snake's jawbone, making further surgery alone insufficient. The veterinary team, in collaboration with specialists from the University of Liverpool, adapted electrochemotherapy for the python. This treatment involves delivering small electric currents to tumorous tissue, making it more susceptible to chemotherapy drugs. "We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumor 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," Ashpole said.
As far as the veterinary team is aware, this marks the first instance of electrochemotherapy being used on a snake. The successful application of this human-grade therapy highlights innovative approaches in veterinary medicine for exotic animals.
