How often does breast cancer spread to lymph nodes?

A large-scale study conducted in China analyzed 19 smaller studies involving an overall of 4215 patients with breast cancer. Lymphovascular invasion was noted in 29.56% of patients. This implies that lymphovascular invasion is found in nearly 29 out of every 100 patients with breast cancer.
What does lymphovascular invasion mean in breast cancer?
Your breast has a network of blood vessels (called the vascular system) and lymph vessels (lymphatic system). This network carries the blood and fluid (lymph fluid) back and forth from your breast to the rest of your body. The lymph contains tissue by-products and waste materials, as well as the immune system cells. The vascular and lymphatic systems nourish the breast and remove waste materials out of the breast.
When breast cancer that is localized only to the breast tissue spreads to the vascular and lymphatic systems in the breast, the condition is known as lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer. Another term for lymphovascular invasion is “angiolymphatic invasion.”
How is lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer diagnosed?
Lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer is diagnosed by taking a biopsy of the tissue in the lymphatic or blood vessels in the breast that surround the tumor in the breast. A biopsy is removing a piece of the breast tissue for laboratory examination under the microscope. It can be performed during a surgery that involves removing the tumor from your breast or separately as an exclusive biopsy procedure before deciding the treatment.
Lymphovascular invasion is an important criterion for the treatment of patients with breast cancer. Therefore, most laboratory reports for cancer will mention whether lymphovascular invasion was seen in the tissue sample. They will report either of the following:
- Positive for lymphovascular invasion: Lymphovascular invasion was seen in the tissue examined. This means cancer cells were present in the small blood vessels or lymph vessels.
- Negative for lymphovascular invasion: Lymphovascular invasion was not seen in the tissue examined. This means cancer cells were absent in the small blood vessels or lymph vessels.
Is lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer bad?
Lymphovascular invasion in patients with breast cancer can cause the cancer to spread in other parts of the body. This is because the cancer cells can spread anywhere in the body through the lymph or blood. The process is known as metastasis. Metastasis of breast cancer is difficult to treat, and very few patients survive this stage.
The lymph vessels are connected to the lymph nodes. Cancer from the lymph vessels can spread to the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are small bean-shaped collections of the immune system cells that are in the following areas:
- Above and below the collar bone
- In the axilla (armpits)
- Near to the chest bone
The lymph nodes transport the immune cells all over the body. Thus, cancer cells can spread through these lymph nodes. Doctors perform a biopsy of the lymph node and send it to the laboratory for examination under the microscope. If the lymph node tissue seen under the microscope contains cancer cells, they report it as node-positive cancer. If the cancer cells are absent in the lymph node tissue, they report it as node-negative cancer.
Several research studies have consistently reported that lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer is bad. It can lead to relapse of breast cancer after treatment and reduce the years of survival in patients with node-negative cancer.
Lymphovascular invasion is used by many oncologists to determine the treatment of patients with breast cancer. Depending on the presence or absence of lymphovascular invasion, oncologists can decide whether to go for other treatments after the surgery. These treatments include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy waves to destroy the cancerous tissue. Chemotherapy involves the use of medicines that kill the cancer cells all over the body.

SLIDESHOW
Breast Cancer Awareness: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment See SlideshowHealth Solutions From Our Sponsors
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/what-is-breast-cancer.html
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817439
Top How Common Lymphovascular Invasion Breast Cancer Related Articles
Breast Anatomy
The breast, or mammary gland is made up of lobules, milk producing glands, and a system of ducts to transport milk. Both males and females have breasts. Abnormal enlargement of breasts in men is referred to as gynecomastia. In women, during pregnancy the breasts grow larger and produce milk. Common medical conditions that affect the breasts include breast cancer, breast lumps, fibrocystic changes and cysts, mastitis, and benign tumors (fibroadenomas).Breast Anatomy Picture
The breast refers to the front of the chest or, more specifically, to the mammary gland. See a picture of Breast Anatomy and learn more about the health topic.Breast Biopsy
There are several types of breast biopsies, which are diagnostic procedures to examine part or all of suspicious breast growth(s). The types of breast biopsies include fine needle aspiration (FNA), core needle breast biopsy (CNB), vacuum-assisted breast biopsy, and excision breast biopsy (surgery, lumpectomy). The type of breast biopsy procedure depends upon the location and size of the growth(s).Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is an invasive tumor that develops in the mammary gland. Breast cancer is detected via mammograms, breast self-examination (BSE), biopsy, and specialized testing on breast cancer tissue. Treatment of breast cancer may involve surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Breast cancer risk may be lowered by managing controllable risk factors.
What you should know about breast cancer
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women.
- One in every eight women in the United States develops breast cancer.
- There are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of spreading (metastasize) to other body tissues.
- The causes of breast cancer are unknown, although medical professionals have identified a number of risk factors.
- There are 11 common types of breast cancer and 4 uncommon types of breast cancer.
- Breast cancer early signs and symptoms include
- a lump in the breast or armpit,
- bloody nipple discharge,
- inverted nipple,
- orange-peel texture or dimpling of the breast's skin (peau d'orange),
- breast pain or sore nipple,
- swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit, and
- a change in the size or shape of the breast or nipple.
- Breast cancer can also be symptom free, which makes following national screening recommendations an important practice.
- Breast cancer is diagnosed during a physical exam, by a self-exam of the breasts, mammography, ultrasound testing, and biopsy.
- Treatment of breast cancer depends on the type of cancer and its stage (0-IV) and may involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Young Women & Breast Cancer
Is breast cancer genetic? Should I get tested for the BRCA gene? What every young women should know about breast cancer. Discover the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and other crucial breast cancer facts.Breast Cancer Follow-Up Self-Exam
A breast cancer follow-up self-exam is a test that may help a woman detect a recurrence of the disease. A woman should perform a monthly self-exam of both breasts as well as attend scheduled follow-up appointments to detect any breast cancer recurrence early. Lymph node involvement, tumor size, hormone receptor status, histologic grade, nuclear grade, and oncogene expression help determine the likelihood of a recurrence.Breast Cancer in Children
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer globally. It is mostly seen in women, whereas men are rarely affected. Breast tumors are occasionally seen in children and are mostly benign (noncancerous) and thought to be harmless. Breast lumps in children are known as fibroadenomas, and girls are more likely to develop these tumors. There is no standard staging of breast cancer in children.Breast Cancer in Young Women
About 5% of cases of breast cancer occur in women under the age of 40 years old. Some risk factors for breast cancer in young women include a personal history of breast cancer or breast disease, family history of breast cancer, prior radiation therapy, and the presence of BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations. Breast self-exams, clinical breast exams, and screening mammograms may help detect breast cancer. Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy.Where Breast Cancer Spreads
When breast cancer spreads, or metastasizes, it often goes to these five places: the lymph nodes, bones, liver, lungs, and brain. See how breast cancer metastasis affects the body, possible symptoms, and treatment.Breast Cancer Slides
Learn about breast cancer causes, symptoms, tests, recovery, and prevention. Discover the types of treatments such as surgery and drug therapies as well as the survival rate for breast cancer.Breast Cancer Prevention
Lifestyle changes, a healthy antioxidant-rich diet, exercise, and weight reduction can help reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. It's important to be aware of how risk factors such as family history, lifestyle factors, breast conditions, radiation therapy, and hormonal factors may influence your chances of developing breast cancer. Mammography and breast self-examinations are crucial steps in breast cancer prevention.Breast Cancer Quiz
This Breast Cancer Quiz features signs, symptoms, facts, causes, common forms, terms, risk factors, statistics, and more. Increase your awareness of breast cancer now!Breast Cancer Stages
Breast cancer staging is the determination of the extent and spread of cancer. An individual's health care team uses stages to summarize the extent of cancer in a standardized way that is recognized by all health care providers. They use this staging to determine the treatment most appropriate for the type of cancer. Cancer staging helps to determine the prognosis, or outlook, of cancer, including rates of recurrence and survival rates.Breast Self-Exam
A woman can use a breast self-exam to check for changes, lumps, or thickenings, in her breasts. Any unusual changes should be reported to the doctor. A breast self-exam is one way to detect lumps that may be cancerous. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer greatly increases the likelihood for survival.Breast Cancer Treatment by Stage
Treatment of breast cancer depends upon the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Some of the various treatments include:
- hormone therapy,
- radiation therapy,
- surgery,
- chemotherapy,
- HER2-targeted therapy,
- neoadjuvant therapy, and
- adjuvant therapy.
Breast Cancer: Visual Guide to Male Breast Cancer
Breast cancer isn't just a woman's disease. Learn about the symptoms and treatment of male breast cancer, and find out what can put you at risk for this cancer.