Is risk of axillary lymph node metastasis associated with proximity of breast cancer to the skin?
Stage T1 and T2 breast cancers located less proximally to the skin may be less likely to spread to the axillary lymph nodes. We observed what appears to be a threshold at approximately 14 mm from the skin (based upon this group of patients): none of 26 cancers below this level had spread to axillary nodes. Further research is needed to confirm these provocative findings.
These findings highlight a novel role of FPR1 to promote changes in the wound microenvironment to such extent that enriches a specific mucosa-associated bacterium to enhance enterocyte migration and proliferation in an FPR1-mediated and redox-dependent fashion.