Opportunities and Challenges: Targeting Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer

Pinji Lei, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology

Massachusetts General Hospital

Harvard Medical School

Abstract:

Breast cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The presence of cancer cells in the sentinel lymph node indicates an advanced disease stage and a worse prognosis. In this seminar, I will share my understanding of the key epigenetic events in the progression of breast cancer, elucidate how breast cancer cells trigger immunosuppression in the sentinel lymph nodes to escape immune surveillance, and propose novel solutions to manipulate lymphatic drainage for the treatment of lymphedema—a long-term consequence following sentinel lymph node biopsy or the removal of metastatic lymph nodes in breast cancer.