IMPORTANCE OF LYMPHATIC’S IN DISSEMINATION OF BREAST CANCER

The Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in females with many subtypes. Breast cancer can spread via hematogenous route as well as lymphatic routes. Knowledge of the lymphatic drainage of breast is required not only for the performance of surgical procedures but also in planning therapeutic radiation, predicting sites of locally recurrent disease.The lymphatic drainage of the breast is considered rich, and identification of the major pathways allows a surgeon to predict the sites most commonly containing lymph-borne metastases. Careful inspection and palpation of Axillary, supraclavicular and parasternal sites for nodal involvement is thoroughly performed for recording location, size, consistency, shape, mobility, fixation, and other characteristics of any palpable lymphadenopathy. Local implications of lymphatic obstruction can be Preau D orange appearance and edema while as distant manifestations can be involvement of Nodes along with dissemination to other organs. The further the lymphatic dissemination , the lesser the favourable prognosis . Pathologic stage combines the findings from pathologic examination of the resected primary breast cancer and axillary or other regional lymph nodes. This connotes the importance of Status of Lymphatics in Breast Cancer .