Filenews 25 February 2021
Routine mammograms should be done either before the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, or four to six weeks after the second dose, according to a new recommendation from the American Breast Imaging Society.
This is because vaccines can temporarily cause swelling of the lymph nodes around the armpits with some women, which is due to the body's reaction as it produces new antibodies against coronavirus, but could be mistakenly perceived as evidence of cancer in a mammogram.
So-called "mammary lymphadenopathy" occurs only in 0.02% to 0.04% of mammograms. In Moderna vaccine trials it occurred in 11.6% of those who took the first dose and 16% after the second dose. In the case of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, participants were not asked about possible lymph node swelling, but some reported such a side effect that lasted an average of ten days, according to Reuters.
More invisible effects on lymph nodes, visible only on X-rays, are likely to last longer, according to the Breast Imaging Society, which said in a statement that as more information about the frequency and occurrence of mammary lymphadenopathy becomes available after vaccination for Covid-19, it may be right to change recommendations on the timing of mammograms.
Source: eyenews/CYPE
