In “World First,” Python Receives Pioneering Human Cancer Therapy In what’s believed to be a “world-first” procedure, Jodie Foster — a 15-foot reticulated python named after the actress — is the first snake to receive a pioneering cancer treatment usually reserved for humans. A recurring tumor had destroyed part of Jodie’s jaw, making it difficult for her to eat. Fearing they may lose the 23-year-old reptile, keepers and veterinarians at England’s Chester Zoo teamed up with cancer specialists from the University of Liverpool to devise an innovative intervention. ​ Joining two operating tables to accommodate the 110-pound-python and using heated blankets to maintain her body temperature, the team removed the tumorous mass before successfully administering electrochemotherapy. “Electrochemotherapy is an emerging treatment, and this was the first time it had been used in a snake. The success of this treatment is a testament to the power of collaboration,” Jose Alvarez Picornell, from the department of small animal clinical science at the University of Liverpool, said in a press release. ​ Now, following months of observation post-surgery, Jodie is back to her usual routine — and officially cancer-free. “Seeing her back to her normal bright and feisty self has been incredibly rewarding. … [She’s] behaving exactly as we’d hope,” said Dr. Ian Ashpole, who performed the surgery. Picornell added that the team plans to formally publish details of the procedure “so that veterinary colleagues around the world can learn from and build upon our approach.” ​ ​See more photos and watch a video chronicling Jodie’s journey.

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