malignant neoplasms

1. Seeding within body cavities

2. Lymphatic spread

3. Hematogenous spread

Malignant neoplasms disseminate to distant sites by one of three pathways:

Seeding

(diffuse spread) of cancers occurs when neoplasms invade a natural body cavity.

Lymphatic spread

is the major metastatic route of carcinomas, especially those of the lung and breast.

Carcinomas of the lung metastasize

first to the regional bronchial lymph nodes and then to the tracheobronchial and hilar nodes.

upper outer quadrant, axillary nodes

Carcinoma of the breast usually arises in the and first spreads to the .

Medial breast lesions

may drain through the chest wall to nodes along the internal mammary artery.

hematogenous spread

The _of cancer is a complex process involving several steps