American doctors recommend postponing mammography after COVID-19 vaccination
'21.02.2021'
Source: abc10
One of the side effects of the vaccine is swollen lymph nodes, which can last up to several weeks after the first shot, explains ABC10 citing information from experts and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
COVID-19 vaccines have a number of side effects that are expected to follow vaccinations. One of these, enlarged lymph nodes, has become a concern for some radiologists.
This led to the emergence of social media posts claiming that you should wait until your mammogram for a few weeks after being vaccinated with COVID-19.
Q: Should I schedule breast screening for COVID-19 vaccine?
Sources:
- Dr. Lisa Mullen, Associate Professor of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University;
- Dr. Latasha Perkins, physician and professor at Georgetown University;
- Society for Breast Research.
Answer: In some people, vaccines can cause swollen lymph nodes. When your radiologist sees an enlarged lymph node during a mammogram, it can be cause for concern and will require re-examination. Experts try to avoid false positives and unnecessary anxiety.
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They suggest pre-vaccination mammograms or 4-6 weeks after vaccination.
Process:
Lymph nodes are like a home for white blood cells. When these cells work to fight infection, it can lead to enlargement of the nodes. According to Dr. Latasha Perkins, this is exactly what happens to some people after being vaccinated.
“This is often the case when you are vaccinated against a virus such as influenza or COVID-19, but you can also see it when you are vaccinated against HPV or tetanus,” she said. - Enlarged lymph nodes are not a cause for concern, because it shows that an immune response is forming in your body. This is exactly what we want from vaccination. "
Radiologist Dr. Lisa Mullen says the same thing happens when your body is battling something more difficult, like cancer. Benign exacerbations can make it much more difficult for a doctor to identify breast cancer.
“When we started taking patients who had received the COVID vaccine,” she says, “we noticed that they had larger than usual lymph nodes on the side where they were vaccinated.”
But before she knew if the patient had been vaccinated, it looked like a cause for concern - one that requires follow-up examination and possibly a biopsy.
“When we do a screening mammogram, we look for breast cancer. And sometimes breast cancer can manifest itself simply as an enlarged lymph node. But sometimes the enlarged lymph node may be related to something else, ”says Dr. Mullen.
Dr. Mullen and her colleagues have begun to notice this trend, with newly vaccinated patients receiving worrying mammography results.
In response, the Society for Breast Research has published guidelines for scheduling mammograms to avoid these potential false positives.
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Among a number of recommendations for healthcare providers are: "If possible and when it does not lead to an undue delay in care, consider scheduling screenings before the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine or 4-6 weeks after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine."
“The COVID vaccine does trigger a very strong immune response. It enlarges the lymph nodes, and that's completely normal, says Dr. Mullen. “What we don’t want is to cause additional anxiety in the patient or to cause it again for this reason.”
Thus, in order to avoid a false positive result, experts advise to schedule a breast examination before the COVID-19 vaccination or a few weeks after it.
The material is published for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and does not replace medical advice. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the site's materials, as well as for the consequences of self-medication, and may not share the point of view of the author or expert.
