Help Understanding Pathology Terms

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TiredandTroubled
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:11 am

Help Understanding Pathology Terms

Postby TiredandTroubled » Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:08 pm

Hi Everyone,

I got my pathology back today. Can someone help me understand what these mean (I'm assuming they're all bad prognostic indicators...)

Lymphovascular Invasion:
Present, small vessel lymphovascular invasion
Present, large vessel (venous) lymphovascular invasion, extramural

Perineural Invasion:
Present

I know it sounds counter intuitive, but if there's a way you could explain these to me without freaking me out more, that would be much appreciated.
29F DX 7/19
CC Sigmoid Colon
Adenocarcinoma
5.2 cm x 2.4 cm
G2
T3N2aM0
Stage III
5/15 positive LN
Baseline CEA: 16
LVI, PNI present
Clear margins
MSS
Sigmoid Colectomy

catstaff
Posts: 177
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2021 11:37 am

Re: Help Understanding Pathology Terms

Postby catstaff » Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:44 pm

Lymphovascular invasion means that the tumor has infiltrated lymph and/or blood vessels. Extramural means a direct invasion of a blood vessel, usually a vein as in your case ("venous").

Perineural invasion is infiltration into or passing around nerves.

There is no way to sugar-coat it; these are going to put you at a higher risk of recurrence and spread than if they were not present. But don't panic, just do the chemo.
D/H Dx 10/2019 RC age 61
Clinical T4bN2M1a (common iliac and para-aortic lymph nodes)
MSS KRAS G12D
CRT 11/19-1/20 FOLFOX 3/20-7/20
Pelvic exenteration w/LAR 8/20
ypT4bN0Mx G3 0/14 nodes LVI not seen PNI-
CEA 10/19:20, 1/20-11/20:1.6, 4.3, 3.4, 2.7, 2/21:9.0 3/21:18,40 4/21:28,19, 5/21:13.3,8.6
PET 3/21 recurrence in distal nodes, L5 vertebra, pelvis
FOLFIRI+bev 3/21-

User avatar
O Stoma Mia
Posts: 1709
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Help Understanding Pathology Terms

Postby O Stoma Mia » Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:39 am

Extramural vascular invasion is abbreviated EMVI and is a prognostic indicator that is independent of, and separate from, small-vessel LVI. You could add it to your signature as 'EMVI present' along with LVI and PNI to give a more complete picture of your prognostic indicator profile.

Also you could update your signature to add the 'B' suffix to Stage III, i.e., Stage III-B instead of just Stage III.


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