Modeling lymph node metastases in vivo

Distant organ metastases remain the leading cause of death in patients with solid tumors¹, where the process is initiated by cancer cells escaping the primary tumor. Sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) are common sites for secondary tumor formation before dissemination to other tissues². As such, metastases in LNs are a critical clinical prognostic factor for cancer staging. In many tumor types, isolated LN colonization is an intermediate stage in the metastatic cascade, and in clinical practice, lymphadenectomies and nodal irradiations are carried out routinely to prevent further metastatic spread.