Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a term used to describe the process by which cancer cells can reside in the blood and tissue.
Lymphocytes, special cells in the body that fight infection, participate in LVI. When LVI occurs, it is called lymphadenopathy.
LVI can occur in non-cancerous conditions, including breast cancer. It is a common feature of breast cancer, although its frequency can vary from rare to daily.
As with many health conditions, a high awareness of your condition is important. You should seek out professional help if you feel this part of your health needs to be addressed.
This article will focus on what LVI is and how it affects cancerous breasts.
Contents:
How common is lymphovascular invasion?
Breast cancer is the leading cancer killer of women worldwide. Despite its high mortality rate, there are still many questions about it.
At what age does breast cancer start to invade the lymph system? Where does it come from? How does it spread?
These are some of the questions we will discuss here. This article will discuss what is lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in breast cancer and how to identify it.
What Is LVI in Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and incidence has increased over the last few decades. Although still a highly treatable disease, there has been an increase in LVI in some cases.
LVI refers to any new blood vessels that develop in a noncancerous (benign) location on the body. These new vessels can occur within an organ or outside where they should be, such as on a leg where there should be no extra blood supply.
What factors influence the presence of lymphovascular invasion?
There are several factors that influence the presence of lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer patients. These include:
Being diagnosed late in life, being patient about treatment, having small breasts, or lack of adequate evidence of invasion.
Patients with small breasts may have more limited evidence of cancer because their breasts are less prominent and more liquid looking. Patients who are patient about their breast cancer treatment may not receive the same aggressive treatment as someone who is impatient about finishing treatment.
Having large breasts can give patients a sense of security when it comes to knowing what evidence of cancer they have. If one has limited evidence of cancer with large breasts, this can be difficult to deal with.
International guidelines recommend treating distant (metastasized) breast cancer with radiotherapy in three stages rather than on an immediate basis.
What types of breast cancer are associated with lymphovascular invasion?
Blood vessels in tumors can spread through contact with surrounding blood vessels. This is how cancer cells can find these vessels to hitch a ride.
When these vessels invade the body, they may change the way the rest of the system uses water and oxygen. This can impact how well the tumor responds to treatment, and even cause death.
Some breast cancers that carry VVI are Pilar, overexpressing estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) tumors. VVI occurs in about 5% of Pilar tumors, and 5% of these tumors have VVI.
VVI is more common in women with higher numbers of ER+ tumors, making it somewhat predictive for VVI.
Should I be concerned about lymphovascular invasion?
Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a term used to describe abnormal travel of lymphocytes and other immune cells through the walls of the blood vessels. This happens in some cells, notably B and T lymphocytes.
B and T lymphocytes are specialised cells that fight infection. When activated by a foreign object or protein, this protein enters the cell and starts to modify its function – often producing an inflammatory response.
When these modified B and T lymphocytes enter a new cell, they start another cycle of modification and migration. This process goes on until the LVI cell becomes inactive or disappears.
Modifications to B and T lymphocytes can have devastating effects on surrounding tissues, including damage from invasive agents such as Cancer StemTM cancer vaccines.
What are the treatment options for breast cancer with lymphvascular invasion?
Lymphovascular invasion is a rare type of cancer in which cancer cells move through the lymph system and find their way into other parts of the body, like in a lymphatic system.
This can happen in two ways: when cancer cells move through the bloodstream and over to the surrounding tissues or when new cancer cells move from one part of the body to another.
If new cancer cells move from one part of the body to another, they can enter the blood and reach a new destination, where they will grow and spread even more. If old cancer cells have moved into a area where new cancer does not yet exist, then there is no threat of rejection by the immune system.
These newcancer patients should be watched closely for any signs of resistance or relapse, so that treatment can be continued if necessary.
What is the survival rate for patients with breast cancer and lymphvascular invasion?
People with breast cancer that has invaded the blood system and/or lymph system are at an increased risk for complications, such as lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and/or lymphoma in the mixed system (LMS).
LVI is when cancer cells invade the bloodstream and travel to another location in the body, such as the bones or lungs. This can occur in 5% to 10% of people with breast cancer, making it one of the most common cancers in women.
When this happens, it can be difficult to know where the symptoms are coming from. Because LVI is so difficult to diagnose, having a early diagnosis is important.
Symptoms of LVI can be very similar to those of Rayna Rucker syndrome (RRS), which is when cancer cells invade other parts of the body and spread. This may help find early signs of disease.
What is the prognosis for patients with breast cancer and lympohvascular invasion?
People with breast cancer that has invaded the lymph system such as in the form of lymph nodes, blood cells, or fragments of blood are considered to have lympoinvasion. This is common as most cancer cells are carried by lymphocytes which move around in the body.
This can happen in several ways:
As an example, a person with breast cancer may have a few centimeters of blood that is swathed in tumor cells. The remaining space is filled with tissue. This person would be highly susceptible to infections due to the poor immune response against the tumor.
As another example, a patient with colorectal cancer may have some parts of their colon that are covered in tumors and intestine that has extra dimensions for growth. These people can develop large abscesses and knots in their bowel which promotes continued infection by entering through the lympoinvaded area.
Who should I talk to about my concerns regarding lymphov vascular Invasion?
Concerned users of the dawn leukocyte protein (LEDP) treatment for breast cancer are starting to reach out to others who have used it. Many users have reported side effects such as fatigue, depression, and changes in appetite including a loss of appetite for food or a change in how much food is consumed.
Some problems that may occur with LEDP include water retention, changes in weight distribution, changes in metabolic function, and changes in blood flow. All of these can occur at different rates, so it is important to check them regularly.
By reporting these issues to other users of LEDP, you can potentially help determine if it is the drug that is causing the problems or if something has been changed since it was introduced.