Python becomes first snake to receive pioneering cancer treatment
A 15-foot python at Chester Zoo has made a full recovery after becoming what is believed to be the first snake in the world to receive a pioneering cancer treatment adapted from human medicine.
Jodie, a 50kg reticulated python named after Hollywood actor Jodie Foster, underwent electrochemotherapy after a cancerous tumour returned following surgery and began invading her jawbone.
Working with cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool, Chester Zoo's veterinary team adapted the treatment for use in a snake. Months after the procedure, Jodie is cancer-free, eating normally and back to her usual "bright and feisty" self.
Keepers first became concerned when Jodie began eating less and spending more time inactive in her habitat. Tests revealed a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour affecting her jaw. Although the tumour was initially removed surgically, it later returned.
"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," said Ian Ashpole, veterinary officer at Chester Zoo.
The team first removed the tumour and part of Jodie's diseased jawbone before administering electrochemotherapy, which combines the cancer drug bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses. The pulses temporarily increase the permeability of cancer cells, helping the drug enter more effectively and allowing lower doses of chemotherapy to be used.
The procedure required some improvisation. With no operating table large enough for a python of Jodie's size, the veterinary team joined two tables together to create a surface roughly the size of a double bed. Heated blankets and warmed air were used to maintain her body temperature during the 90-minute procedure.
Jose Alvarez Picornell, from the University of Liverpool's Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, said the success of the treatment demonstrated the value of collaboration between zoo veterinary teams and cancer specialists.
The team plans to formally publish details of the procedure to help veterinary colleagues develop similar approaches.
Despite losing part of her jawbone, Jodie's appetite and ability to hunt have not been affected. After several months of observation, she continues to strike, grip and swallow food normally, with a final check confirming no sign of the cancer returning.
Ashpole said the case also highlighted the increasing potential for treatments developed for people to be adapted for veterinary use.
"One day we're treating a tiny frog that weighs just a few grams, the next we're carrying a 15-foot python into theatre. That's what makes this job so interesting and fun," he commented.
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