Paula's grandfather has been diagnosed with lung cancer. His physician orders biopsies of several lymph nodes from neighboring regions of the lungs. Paula wonders why the biopsies are necessary. Explain why.
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A key characteristic of cancer cells is their ability to break free from a tumor and migrate to other tissues of the body, forming new tumors. This process is called metastasis. Lymphomas, which are defined as cancers arising from lymphocytes or lymphoid stem cells, are an important group of lymphatic system cancers. Recall that the primary route for the spread of cancer cells is the lymphoid system, and cancer cells may remain in a lymph node for a period of time before moving on to other tissues. Therefore, examination of regional lymph nodes for the presence of cancer cells can help the physician determine if the cancer was caught in an early stage or whether it has started to spread to other tissues. It can also give the physician an idea of what other tissues may be affected by the cancer, which would help in determining the proper treatment(s).
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