Understanding the Lymph System

Understanding the Lymph System

I thought it would be helpful for readers to understand the lymph system, the anatomy, what it does, and how it helps with immunity.

Listed below are information pages that should be quite helpful and each page has many additional links for more a more in depth study.

Anatomy of the Lymph System

Lymphatic System Functions

Lymphatic System and Immunity

Pathology of the Lymph Nodes and Lymphoma

Lymph Nodes

Lymph Fluid

Merkel cell carcinoma demographics, morphology, and survival based on 3870 cases: a population based study.

Merkel cell carcinoma demographics, morphology, and survival based on 3870 cases: a population based study.
J Cutan Pathol. 2009 Jul 21

Albores-Saavedra J, Batich K, Chable-Montero F, Sagy N, Schwartz AM, Henson DE.
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City.

Correspondence to Jorge Albores-Saavedra, MD, Department of Pathology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Col. Seccion XVI, Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City Tlalpan, CP 14000, MexicoTel: + 52 55 548 70900Fax: + 52 55 548 53489e-mail:alboresjorge@yahoo.com

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine tumor arising predominantly on sun-exposed skin of older and usually immunosuppressed individuals.

Methods: Using data from NCI's SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program from 1973 to 2006, we analyzed the demographics and survival of MCC.

Results: SEER had recorded 3870 cases of MCC. The incidence was higher in men (2380 cases, 61.5%) than in women (1490 cases, 38.5%). Most patients were White (94.9%) between 60 and 85 years of age. MCC was rare in Blacks. The most common location was the head and neck. The salivary glands, nasal cavity, lip, lymph nodes, vulva, vagina and esophagus were the most common extracutaneous sites. The 10-year relative survival rate was higher in women than men (64.8% vs. 50.5%, p <>

Conclusions: MCC arises predominantly in the skin of head and neck in White men above 70 years of age. Cases also occurred in extracutaneous sites. Age did not predict survival, yet gender, site and tumor size revealed clear differences. The most significant predictor of survival was tumor stage.

Wiley InterScience

Merkel cell carcinoma: outcome and role of radiotherapy

Merkel cell carcinoma: outcome and role of radiotherapy

Cancer Radiother. 2008 Sep

Salvador Alonso R, Lahbabi I, Ben Hassel M, Boisselier P, Chaari N, Lesimple T, Chevrier S, de Crevoisier R.

Département de radiothérapie, centre Eugène-Marquis, avenue Bataille-Flandres-Dunkerque, 35042 Rennes, France.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) are rare neuroendocrine malignant tumor of the skin, occurring in elderly patients. It affects primarily the sun-exposed areas of the skin, with approximately 50% of all tumors occurring in the face and neck and 40% in the extremities. Immunohistochemical markers (CK20+, CK7- and TTF1-) are used to distinguish between MCC and other tumors. MCC have a tendency to rapid local progression, frequent spread to regional lymph nodes and distant metastases. Due to the rarity of the disease, the optimal treatment has not been fully defined. Localized stages (stages I and II) are treated by surgical excision of the primary tumor (with 2 to 3 cm margin) and lymphadenectomy in case of node-positive disease, followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to a total dose of 50 to 60Gy in the tumor bed. Adjuvant EBRT has been shown to decrease markedly locoregional recurrences and to increase survival in recent studies. Treatment of lymph nodes area is more controversial. Chemotherapy is recommended only for metastatic disease.

Eslevier