Lymphatic Drainage of Thoracic and Extrathoracic Malignancies.

This review article details the lymphatic drainage pathways for both thoracic and extrathoracic cancers within the chest. The major lymphatic pathways into and through the thorax are reviewed, along with their impact on the spread of cancers. Defects or damage to lymphatic channels and variant anatomy may alter how cancer cells spread through the lymphatic system. Monitoring specific lymph node stations can help in the early detection of lymph node metastases. When an abnormal lymph node is detected without a known primary malignancy, understanding lymphatic drainage pathways can help target the search for the most likely origin of the abnormality.