Animal models and molecular imaging tools to investigate lymph node metastases

摘要: Lymph node metastasis is a strong predictor of poor outcome in cancer patients. Animal studies lymph are constrained by difficulties the establishment appropriate animal models, limitations noninvasive monitoring progression, and challenges pathologic confirmation metastases. In this comprehensive review, we summarize available preclinical models for imaging identification metastases non-hematogenous cancers. Furthermore, discuss strengths weaknesses common modalities used to identify tumor-bearing nodes provide guidelines their pathological confirmation.