How does cancer spread through the lymphatic system?
Breast cancer typically spreads by means of lymphatic vessels (lymphogenic metastasis), which carry cells from the breast to the lymph nodes, chiefly those in the axilla. The cells lodge in the nodes, producing nests of tumor cells (metastases). Abundant communications among lymphatic pathways and among axillary, cervical, and parasternal nodes may also cause metastases from the breast to develop in the supraclavicular lymph nodes, the opposite of breast, or the abdomen.
