A 15-foot python has been declared cancer-free after receiving a pioneering treatment normally used in humans, in what is believed to be a world first for snakes.

Jodie Foster, a 23-year-old reticulated python at Chester Zoo in England, was diagnosed with fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour, after keepers noticed she was eating less and becoming less active.

The 50-kilogram snake initially underwent surgery, but the cancer returned and began spreading into her jawbone.

Veterinarians at Chester Zoo then worked with cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool to adapt electrochemotherapy for Jodie.

The treatment combines the cancer drug bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses targeting cancer cells.

“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,” Chester Zoo veterinary officer Ian Ashpole said in a press release.

Doctors removed the tumour and part of Jodie’s affected jawbone before administering the treatment.

Her size also presented an unusual challenge, with veterinarians putting two operating tables together to accommodate her.

Months after the procedure, Chester Zoo said Jodie is cancer-free and her appetite and ability to hunt have also not been affected.