Some women who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 have noticed swollen lymph nodes under their arm, which is a common vaccine response but can mimic a breast lump.
“Basically, lymph nodes swell for one of a few reasons. Commonly, there are lots of uncommon ones, but commonly, it’s going to be some kind of inflammatory response, some kind of response to the immune system being challenged, like a vaccine,” said breast radiologist Dr. Dianne Johnson with Orange Park Medical Center and Memorial Hospital.
So, what should you do if you’re due for a mammogram screening around the time of vaccination?
“It’s really important for women to get the screening, but it’s also important for patients to get their vaccines,” said Dr. Laura Dean, a breast cancer specialist with Cleveland Clinic. “I know vaccines are very hard to come by, and if somebody has the opportunity to be vaccinated they should absolutely take advantage of that. Coordinating the mammogram and the screening is something that their doctor can help them to coordinate.”
Dean said a small percentage of her patients have noticed enlarged lymph nodes after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, especially on the side where the shot was given.
She said it’s important for women to know there’s a possibility for mammogram pictures to pick up a swollen lymph node, which may result in additional ultrasound testing.
However, this is common and women shouldn’t be alarmed if they’re called back.
“If we do see lymph node enlargement on a screening mammogram, what The Society of Breast Imaging is recommending is that, essentially we bring the patients back, do a targeted ultrasound just to get a good idea of what those lymph nodes look like, and then we’re just monitoring them,” said Dean. “So, we’re recommending a follow-up 4-12 weeks after the second dose of the vaccine.”
To try and prevent false positives on a mammogram, The Society of Breast Imaging recommends scheduling mammograms before the first dose of vaccine, or four-to-six weeks after the second dose, as long as it doesn’t delay routine screening needs.
In addition, Dean said it’s a good idea to let your medical team know if you’ve been vaccinated recently.
Radiologists said it’s important to pay attention for the latest information, because guidance may change as more data and information become available related to the COVID-19 vaccines.
News4Jax asked about what it means for women of color, who have disparities when it comes to health in general, and we were told there isn’t much data at this point but that will hopefully be addressed soon.