COVID-19 vaccine could impact annual mammogram timingDate: 3/9/2021 SPRINGFIELD – Women are used to being asked certain questions when they arrive at their annual mammogram screenings – “Did you use deodorant or powder this morning?” “Are you wearing any type of fragrance?” But starting now they may have one more question to answer – “Have you had a COVID-19 vaccine recently?”
Why the new question? Because both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines – the two approved shots that have been administered widely to date – have been linked to an uptick in follow ups to mammogram screenings for some women. The goal of the new question is to avoid undue stress and worry on the part of patients.
According to Information posted on the Facebook page of the Society for Breast Imaging, “Some women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine develop swollen lymph nodes under their arm on the same side as their vaccine injection.” These swollen lymph nodes can look like a symptom of cancer, but are just a part of the body’s immune reaction to the vaccine, and in this case are not a disease indicator.
Dr. Jennifer Hadro medical co-director of Breast Imaging at Baystate Medical Center, told Reminder Publishing the presence of swollen lymph nodes on the side of a vaccine injection is not a new phenomenon.
“Vaccinations of all types have been known to cause temporary swelling in lymph nodes in the armpit” and sometimes on the side of the neck, she said, adding the effect can happen with the annual flu vaccines as well. “With COVID-19 and the large public rollout of vaccinations, we are seeing this result on people who are getting mammograms within a certain timeframe, so we are asking them to reschedule.”
She referred to the explanation of the lymph node swelling and advice to reschedule as “very important information” for women to have as more people receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
Hadro said that women who are coming in for their annual mammogram screening and do not have any symptoms or concerns “should schedule their mammograms either before they receive their first [COVID-19] vaccine or four-to-six weeks after their second vaccine.” The delay after the second shot, she noted, is to allow the temporary lymph node swelling to subside, avoiding any potential false readings on a screening.
However, if a woman is coming in for the screening because she or her doctor has a concern, Hadro said a COVID-19 vaccination becomes less of an issue.
“If women have a concerning symptom – a palpable lump – regardless of the timing of the vaccine, they should make an appointment to see their doctor and have an evaluation,” Hadro stressed. “They should not delay if they have concerns.”
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