Women who receive injections of the COVID-19 vaccine should wait a few weeks to have a mammogram, as the reaction to the vaccine can mimic signs of breast cancer, advise some health officials.
The problem is swollen lymph nodes.
The COVID-19 vaccine can cause swollen lymph nodes under the receiving arm, the Mayo Clinic said. Swelling is the body responding to the vaccine and building defenses against the virus.
Swelling of the vaccine can cause a false reading on a mammogram, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Breast cancer can also cause swelling in the lymph nodes under the arm, if the cancer cells spread.
Some experts recommend having a mammogram before being vaccinated or waiting four to six weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, said the CDC.
Lehigh Valley Health Network recommends that women wait four to six weeks after finishing the vaccination process to have their mammogram, either the second dose of the vaccine or, if they receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after their single dose, said the LVHN spokesman Brian Downs.
St. Luke’s University Health Network takes into account the health and history of each patient, and spokesman Sam Kennedy said patients with mammograms should make a decision after consulting their doctor.
For Lehigh Valley residents who are not part of these networks, the Mayo Clinic recommends that mammograms continue as scheduled, but that patients inform the doctor about the vaccination, the date it occurred and which arm was affected.
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Sarah Cassi can be reached at [email protected].