Chester Zoo python survives pioneering cancer treatment

electrochemotherapy veterinary medicine reticulated python fibrosarcoma Chester Zoo

A 23-year-old, 50kg reticulated python named Jodie Foster at Chester Zoo has become the first snake to successfully undergo electrochemotherapy, a cancer treatment typically used in humans. The treatment was required after a malignant fibrosarcoma tumor in the snake's jaw returned following an initial surgical removal and began invading the jawbone.

Veterinary teams from Chester Zoo collaborated with oncology specialists from the University of Liverpool to adapt the procedure. The treatment involves combining the drug bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses to increase the permeability of cancer cells, allowing the medication to work more effectively. Due to the snake's 4.5-meter length, surgeons had to join two operating tables to create a platform the size of a double bed.

Following the 90-minute procedure, the python has made a full recovery. Recent medical checks confirm the snake is cancer-free, eating normally, and has returned to its active, energetic behavior. The success of this case is expected to contribute to future veterinary medical research.

Entities

Chester Zoo · Ian Ashpole · Jodie Foster · Jose Alvarez Picornell · University of Liverpool

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] A 15-foot python is believed to be the first snake to receive a cancer treatment typically used on humans. www.dailymail.com · www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] The 23-year-old reticulated python, named Jodie Foster, underwent electrochemotherapy for a fibrosarcoma on her jawbone. www.dailymail.com · www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] The python has returned to her habitat and is eating normally. www.dailymail.com · www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] The procedure involved removing the tumour and part of the jawbone followed by electrochemotherapy. www.dailymail.com · www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] The python is 15 feet long and weighs 40kg. www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] Electrochemotherapy combines the drug bleomycin with electrical pulses to increase drug effectiveness. www.independent.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] The treatment case opens new paths for veterinary medical research. www.kurierverlag.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.tz.de
[● 3 SOURCES] The python had a malignant tumor that returned after an initial surgery and began affecting its jawbone. www.kurierverlag.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.tz.de
[● 3 SOURCES] A 23-year-old reticulated python named ‘Jodie Foster’ at Chester Zoo has become the first snake to receive a cancer treatment previously used only in humans. www.kurierverlag.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.tz.de
[● 3 SOURCES] The python weighs 50 kilograms and is approximately 4.5 meters long. www.kurierverlag.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.tz.de