Although the majority of breast cancers originate in the ducts of the breast, as the disease advances it can spread to distant sites in the body. The first step in this process is often spread to adjacent lymph nodes. Indeed, lymph node metastasis is a strong indicator of patient prognosis, but the mechanisms involved have not yet been fully elucidated. Understanding this process could aid identification of methods to prevent this pivotal step in breast cancer progression. It is thought that factors secreted by the tumour aid the spread to the lymph nodes. Both Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 have previously been shown to play a role in lymph node metastasis in various cancers. Despite their roles in metastatic cancer, they have not yet been characterised in breast tumour and matched diseased lymph node tissues from the same patients. Characterisation of breast tumour tissue and lymph node tissues from the same patient for VEGF-C and COX-2, believed to play a role in lymph node metastasis, will help determine the true relationship between these factors and breast cancer metastasis.