A urologist from Prague has visited The Christie in Manchester to observe specialist penile cancer surgery, including the use of magnetic technology to identify lymph nodes that may contain cancer.
Dr Nicolette Zavillová, from Thomayer University Hospital and Charles University in the Czech Republic, spent 28 and 29 October 2026 with The Christie’s specialist penile cancer team. Her main interest was gaining practical experience of SentiMag, a system used during sentinel lymph node biopsy in penile cancer.
During the visit, Dr Zavillová observed a dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy (DSNB) using SentiMag technology.
The procedure uses a magnetic tracer to locate sentinel lymph nodes in the groin, which are then removed and examined for cancer cells. This approach helps identify patients who need further treatment while sparing others from more extensive lymph node surgery.
The Christie has considerable experience in managing lymph node disease in penile cancer, including sentinel node biopsy, minimally invasive inguinal lymph node dissection and robotic pelvic lymph node surgery.
Dr Zavillová also observed infrapubic penile prosthesis surgery, providing an opportunity to see another aspect of the team’s specialist andrological practice.
The visit extended beyond the operating theatre. Dr Zavillová joined a busy penile cancer clinic and attended the specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting, where complex cases are reviewed by surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and specialist nurses.
This gave her an opportunity to see how treatment decisions are made and how patients are managed across the different stages of their care.
Professor Vijay Sangar, Consultant Urological Surgeon at The Christie, said: “It was lovely to have Nicolette with us for a couple of days. We were able to show her our approach to sentinel node surgery using SentiMag, but also how we make decisions about treatment in clinic and at our MDT.
“Having visiting surgeons spend time with us is something we really value. There is a lot to gain from seeing how other teams practise, and we hope Nicolette found the experience useful when considering how these techniques might be introduced into her own service.”
The Christie is one of 9 designated penile cancer centres in England, receiving approximately 150 to 200 referrals each year from across the North West of England and North Wales, as well as patients referred for specialist second opinions.
The centre has an established programme of surgical training and has welcomed clinicians from Europe and further afield to observe techniques in penile cancer surgery.
Dr Zavillová’s visit adds to this work, with a particular focus on the practical application of SentiMag technology in penile cancer.
