In cases where someone is going for a routine annual screening, some institutions recommend separating vaccination from breast screening to avoid potentially unnecessary follow-up visits to assess questionable findings.
When people are vaccinated against any disease, including COVID-19, the body’s immune response can cause swollen lymph nodes, and it can show up when women have mammograms – but experts don’t want it to interrupt consultations for any of the procedures.
“At the moment, different large institutions are making different decisions about this, and the Society of Breast Imaging has come up with some useful suggestions,” said Dr. Clayton Taylor, breast imaging radiologist at Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
In cases where someone is going for a routine annual screening, some institutions recommend separating vaccination from breast screening to avoid potentially unnecessary follow-up visits to assess questionable findings.
“That these women delay their mammograms four to six weeks after having the second vaccine. Or else, they do their mammograms before the vaccine, ”said Taylor.
But, “if you are already late for your screening exam or cannot reschedule in the coming months, keep your mammography and vaccination appointment COVID-19,” says the Society of Breast Imaging guidance, noting that “both are very important to ensure that you stay healthy. ”
Women should inform trackers if they have been vaccinated with a first or second dose, how long ago and on which arm.
With that information, Taylor said his institution is confident that it can safely interpret a mammogram.
He recommends that people who go for routine exams follow the guidelines of the service they visit and that people who notice something suspicious should be evaluated immediately.
“If you have a breast problem, for example, a lump in the breast, it doesn’t matter if you have recently had a COVID vaccine or not – you should seek medical attention and, if necessary, you should have the proper breast image,” said Taylor.
The pandemic has already disrupted many preventive procedures.
“We want to try to avoid delaying or reducing breast cancer screening as much as possible,” said Taylor.
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