Editorial Comment

Abstract

During the metastatic cascade, cancer cells lose adhesion, increase their motility, and develop means to invade blood vessels and lymphatics for migration. Lymphovascular invasion is clearly one of the most critical steps in the cancer cell's ability to metastasize. The importance of lymphovascular invasion has been shown to be an important prognostic factor in other urologic malignancies including bladder, 1 Lotan Y. Gupta A. Shariat S.F. et al. Lymphovascular invasion is independently associated with overall survival, cause specific survival, and local and distant recurrence in patients with negative nodes at radical cystectomy. J Clin Oncol. 2005; 27: 6533-6539 Crossref Scopus (248) Google Scholar prostate, and testis. 2 Perrotti M. Ankem M. Bancila E. et al. Prospective metastatic risk assignment in clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell testis cancer: a single institution pilot study. Urol Oncol. 2004; 22: 174-177 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar The authors present their experience evaluating the prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion and upper tract transitional cell carcinoma. Of the 271 patients, lymphovascular invasion was present in 31 (13%). They showed that the combination of lymphovascular invasion and tumor stage were significant prognostic factors in predicting recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival. The authors' findings support the data from others who have demonstrated that lymphovascular invasion predicts clinical outcome in patients with upper tract urothelial cancer. 3 Saito K. Kawakami S. Fujii Y. et al. Lymphovascular invasion is independently associated with poor prognosis in patients with localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma treated surgically. J Urol. 2007; 178: 2291-2296 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar Lymphovascular Invasion and pT Stage Are Prognostic Factors in Patients Treated with Radical Nephroureterectomy for Localized Upper Urinary Tract Transitional Cell CarcinomaUrologyVol. 75Issue 2PreviewTo investigate the prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with localized upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT-TCC) after radical nephroureterectomy. Full-Text PDF