A reported side effect of the coronavirus vaccine in some women has generated a warning from doctors, as it can be mistaken for a common sign of breast cancer.
Dr. Holly Marshall, a breast radiologist at University Hospitals in Cleveland, told the local Fox 8 news station that some of her patients who received the COVID-19 vaccine had axillary adenopathy, also known as swollen lymph nodes.
“In fact, it is a normal response that the body has to the vaccine,” Marshall told the agency, warning that this specific side effect could be confused with signs of breast cancer. “This means that the body is producing antibodies to fight the COVID-19 infection.”
Many patients who reported this found swollen lymph nodes under the arm that received the injection, she said.
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“We also see swollen lymph nodes in breast cancer patients, so that is the concern. So we are asking everyone who is undergoing a mammogram if they received the COVID-19 vaccine, what dose, when and from which side?” she added.
Some participants in the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine trial, for example, reported side effects, including swollen lymph nodes, as well as fever, chills, muscle and joint pain, according to the study results, noting that these side effects were most common experienced in people between the ages of 18 and 55.
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Marshall said that many patients are noticing swollen lymph nodes two to four days after receiving the vaccine, with the lymph nodes returning to normal size two to four weeks later.
She warned that anyone with swollen lymph nodes longer than this period may require a more detailed assessment by a doctor.
“This really shows the importance of women having an annual mammogram from the age of 40. Don’t delay,” said the doctor.