Jodie Foster the snake gets world-first cancer treatment
Vets removed a recurring jaw tumour and used electrochemotherapy to target remaining cancer cells, and the 23-year-old python is now cancer-free.
- Chester Zoo veterinary staff confirmed that Jodie Foster, a 15-foot, 40kg reticulated python, has recovered after electrochemotherapy for a jaw tumour. The snake has returned to her "bright and feisty self."
- Keepers at the Cheshire zoo noticed Jodie eating less in 2024, prompting removal of a malignant fibrosarcoma from her jaw. However, the growth returned last year, necessitating advanced treatment.
- Veterinary officer Ian Ashpole led the 90-minute procedure, combining surgery with electrical pulses and the drug bleomycin. Two operating tables were joined together to accommodate the 15-foot patient.
- Jodie is now eating normally, with medical checks this week showing no signs of cancer returning. "Seeing her back to her normal bright and feisty self has been incredibly rewarding," Ian Ashpole said.
- Jose Alvarez Picornell from the University of Liverpool said details will be published so vets worldwide can learn from the case. This advancement demonstrates how veterinary medicine is expanding treatment options for pythons and exotic species.
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In the 4.5-metre-long python, a tumor in the jaw bone was rediscovered after a first operation. However, due to the novel treatment with electrochemotherapy, the snake is now completely recovered, reports the Chester Zoo.
According to a British zoo, a snake named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster has been successfully treated with a new anti-cancer method. In the 4.5-metre-long python, a cancer tumor in the jawbone was rediscovered after a first operation, explained Chester Zoo in north-western England on Friday. However, due to a novel treatment with electrochemotherapy (ECT), the snake has now completely recovered. "We had to expect to lose it, as the food inta…
Pioneering cancer treatment saves python named Jodie Foster: U.K. zoo
A U.K. zoo on Friday hailed curing a cancer-stricken python named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster, who became the first snake to receive an innovative treatment combining surgery and electrochemotherapy (ECT).
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