Molecular Pathology of Breast Cancer Metastasis

  • Mohammed A. Aleskandarany
  • Ian O. Ellis
  • Emad A. Rakha
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Molecular Pathology Library book series (MPLB, volume 10)

Abstract

Breast cancer metastasis is a complex multistep process that starts early with acquisition of molecular changes in the malignant cells within the confinement of the ductolobular units that allow them to invade basement membrane and interact with surrounding stroma and matrix. Stromal invasion is followed by invasion of lymphatic/blood vessel walls through interaction with stromal cells, immune cells and endothelial cells. Vessel invasion in breast cancer is mainly lymphatic with less than 10 % of cases showing blood vessel invasion. Intra-vascular tumour cells circulate in the blood and/or lymph to reach distant sites, often draining lymph nodes, where extravasation of tumour cells takes place. Extravasated tumour cells at metastatic sites start to grow again and invade surrounding structure. Metastatic tumour continues to spread through further tumour growth and infiltration of the surrounding tissue at the metastatic sites and by spreading to other distant sites through lymphovascular spaces. The most common distant metastatic sites include lungs, liver, brain and bone. This metastatic process involves a number of molecular alterations, which are discussed in this chapter.

Keywords

Breast cancer Metastasis Vascular invasion Molecular features 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Mohammed A. Aleskandarany
    • 1
  • Ian O. Ellis
    • 1
  • Emad A. Rakha
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Histopathology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of MedicineThe University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City HospitalNottinghamUK

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