State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan China.
Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2024 Dec;204:104536. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104536. Epub 2024 Oct 18.
Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is often regarded as an indicator of poor prognosis in various cancers. Despite over three centuries of exploration since its discovery, the molecular mechanisms underlying LNM remain inconclusive. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of LNM, using the "PUMP+" principle for clarification. Pathological examination remains the gold standard for LNM diagnosis, yet there is a need to explore early diagnostic strategies that can effectively improve patient outcomes. With the advent of immunotherapy, discussions on the fate of lymph nodes (LN) have emerged, emphasizing the importance of preserving LN integrity prior to immunotherapy. This, in turn, poses higher demands for diagnostic accuracy and precision treatment of LNM. This review comprehensively discusses the molecular mechanisms, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies for cancer lymph node metastasis, along with current bottlenecks and future directions in this field.
淋巴结转移（LNM）通常被视为各种癌症预后不良的指标。尽管自发现以来已经进行了三个多世纪的探索，但 LNM 的分子机制仍不确定。本综述使用“PUMP+”原则对 LNM 的分子机制进行了总结。病理检查仍然是 LNM 诊断的金标准，但需要探索能够有效改善患者预后的早期诊断策略。随着免疫疗法的出现，对淋巴结（LN）命运的讨论也出现了，强调在免疫治疗之前保护 LN 完整性的重要性。这反过来又对 LNM 的诊断准确性和精准治疗提出了更高的要求。本综述全面讨论了癌症淋巴结转移的分子机制、诊断方法和治疗策略，以及该领域当前的瓶颈和未来方向。
