Micrometastasis is a metastatic tumor that is too small to be identified in a scan. Studies suggest that up to 50 percent of patients with histologically normal lymph nodes have micrometastases detected by molecular techniques.
They classified macrometastasis as one or more tumor deposits larger than 2 mm. They organized a micrometastasis as a tumor deposit exceeding 0.2 mm but not surpassing 2.0 mm in its largest dimension.
They defined ITC as single cells or small clusters of cells that did not exceed 0.2 mm in their largest size.
Where do we draw the line? — Micrometastases and complete axillary lymph node dissection - Published March 2020
This study raises an interesting point that highlights the value of non-sentinel lymph node status and provokes the need for studies that utilize this information to improve patient outcomes. Determining and destroying the Cancer Cells is as critical as the primary and secondary tumors. Researchers have shown that the CC Formula helps detect and destroy cancer cells.
Learn more about this complementary therapy here. They have found that 14.5% of patients with micrometastases on sentinel lymph node biopsies had non-sentinel lymph node involvement of the tumor. Although it may not seem significant, the 14.5% of patients with non-sentinel lymph node involvement may represent a quarter of patients with disease recurrence.
Defining Cancer Cells in Micrometastasis
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