NBME 24 Answers : Block 1 : #3 = A 52-year-old woman comes to the physician because ...

+9 upvote downvote
submitted by lsmarshall(181),

The most direct path, and most likely path, for breast cancer to metastasize to the vertebra are the intercostal veins. This was on an earlier NBME test as well. Breast cancer will cause mixed, lytic and blastic lesions once in bone.

On an unrealated note; I finally came up with a decent way to remember lytic vs. blastic cancers in bone!

kIdneY and thYroId cause lYtIc

prostate > blastate > blastic

Two breasts > two types of lesions > B reast causes B oth

Two lungs > two types of lesions (depending on type of lung cancer)

small-cell lung > "small blasts"

non-small cell > lytic

artist90 VEINS: 1-Intercostal veins drain into Azygous vein which drains into SVC BUT some blood from this Azygous vein is also draining into BATSONS VERTEBRAL VENOUS PLEXUS how the breast cancer metastasizes to vertebral column. 2-Internal thoracic(mammary) vein drains directly into Brachiocephalic vein. 3-Lateral thoracic vein drains into Axillary vein which drains into Subclavian vein which drains into Brachiocephalic vein. ARTERIES ARE DIFFERENT: Subclavian artery----branches into---Internal thoracic(mammary) artery---Intercostal arteries. Internal thoracic artey is used for CABG if there is 1 vessel block. +1