KEY POINTS
- The coronavirus vaccine can cause swollen lymph nodes
- Side effects reflect the signs of breast cancer
- Experts recommend having a mammogram before receiving an injection or four weeks after the second dose
An alarming side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine is being reported among women after receiving their injection of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
There have been recent reports of women who found large, painful lumps under their arms after receiving their injections of COVID-19. Swollen lymph nodes are a known side effect of the vaccine, but they can also reflect the signs of breast cancer.
“I panicked, I admit, initially … I had a big, visible and painful lump,” said Dr. Bridget Rogers to Kathy Walsh of CBS4. Rogers is a radiologist specializing in breast imaging at Solis Mammography.
“I tried to reassure myself by remembering that this is actually a sign that the vaccine was doing what it was supposed to, activating its immune system,” she added.
Dr. Rogers had just received her second dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine the day before. Although the swelling “started to improve” after two days, she says there have been other reports of visibly enlarged lymph nodes from her colleagues.
Researchers in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trial reported 64 cases of swollen lymph nodes among the 2,000 recipients of the vaccine.
Experts advised patients who received the new coronavirus vaccine to reschedule their annual mammograms before receiving the vaccine or four weeks after the second dose to avoid confusion.
Dr. Tan Yah Yuen, a breast surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, warned that swollen lymph nodes in the armpits could lead doctors to falsely suspect breast cancer.
“If the clinical suspicion is that the swelling of the lymph nodes is due to vaccination and not to breast cancer, then a new ultrasound scan can be done in two to three months to monitor the swelling of the lymph nodes for resolution,” Yuen said. The Straits Times.
Swollen lymph nodes can be seen after the first or second dose. Side effects can also occur in men. The condition usually goes away within 10 days after vaccination.
Women who are in remission from cancer are also advised to discuss their mammography or ultrasound exams with their doctor. Yuen also recommended applying the vaccine to the opposite arm to avoid false recurrence alarms.
