Why COVID-19 Vaccines Are Raising False Red Flags for Breast Cancer – National

One of the particular side effects of COVID-19 vaccines is the creation of false red flags for some women in Canada and elsewhere, which makes them think they might have breast cancer.

As a normal side effect of most vaccines, the axillary lymph nodes in the area of ​​the arm well next to where the vaccination occurred may become temporarily inflamed or enlarged, a sign that the vaccine works by the assembly of an immune response. This is called unilateral axillary lymphadenopathy (UAL).

Although the reaction is not uncommon, COVID-19 vaccines are reported to have higher-than-normal ALU rates and are confused with a potential symptom of breast cancer.

“The rate of enlargement is more common compared to other vaccines,” said Dr. Sandeep Ghai, head of the breast imaging division at Sinai Health Network Health University and University Hospital of Sinai. Women.

“Naturally, there is panic and fear among women,” she added.

Enlarged lymph nodes when seen on a mammogram are also a sign of leukemia and lymphoma.

The lymph nodes become tender and swell two to four days after vaccination against COVID-19, and the inflammation can last up to six to eight weeks.

“There are definitely more immune system reactions to this type of vaccine than some of the other vaccines our bodies have seen before, so I think it’s an explanation for why the lymph nodes are so noticeable after this vaccine. said Dr. Lisa Mullen, assistant professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, dit.

Some women may feel the lump, but for others, inflammation is only detected during a mammogram exam, which involves an X-ray image of the breasts.

It is a trend that radiologists in Canada and on the U.S. border are beginning to see more and more as vaccines continue to be deployed.

“Every week we see one or two patients on routine mammograms or someone who sees the lump and they come,” Ghai told Global News.

At Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Jean Seely, head of the breast imaging section, she says she has seen at least four such cases of women with enlarged lymph nodes who took a breast exam after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s not an alarming thing, but it’s something we need people to keep in mind because it can be mistaken for breast cancer if we don’t have this vaccination history.”

As a protocol to avoid confusion, women attending a breast exam are asked if they have recently received the COVID-19 vaccine.

“If there is a history of vaccination within six weeks of mammography or armpit inflammation, we recommend that doctors examine the women to make sure that this swelling will go away within six weeks.” said Seely, who is also president of the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging, dit.

But if clinical symptoms persist for more than six weeks after vaccination, axillary ultrasound is recommended for further evaluation.

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In the United States, approximately 11% of people between the ages of 18 and 64 who received the Modern vaccine experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first dose and 16% after the second vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC). These cases were also reported from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Dr. Connie Lehman, director of breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, dismissed any fears about a correlation between COVID-19 vaccines and breast cancer.

“Vaccines do not cause breast cancer. They do not cause cancer of the lymph nodes. “

Despite the similarities in symptoms, Lehman said a clear distinction can be made between the two.

“The signs of breast cancer are so different from the signs of swollen lymph nodes swollen after a COVID vaccine, so it’s not a diagnostic dilemma and we think we can manage it very well,” he said.

Breast cancers present as calcifications (calcium deposits), sprains, and masses in the breast, while swollen lymph nodes after vaccination are only found in the area of ​​the arm well, Lehman explained.

Mullen said breast tissue itself does not change in response to the vaccine.

“The pathologist will really see breast cancer cells in the lymph node, so we can differentiate in those few patients where it’s crucial to differentiate,” he told Global News.

“But we don’t want to recommend biopsies for normal lymph nodes that are larger because they are processing the vaccine.”

To avoid confusion, the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging and the Canadian Association of Radiologists recommends, where possible, considering screening tests before the first dose or six weeks after any of the doses in medium-risk patients.

“Women who have been expelled for screening due to pandemic delays or who are symptomatic should proceed with mammography regardless of the timing of the vaccination dose,” the updated March guidelines say.

In a statement to Global News, Health Canada said, “We encourage women to talk about mammography appointments with their health professionals, who will be the best to advise them in light of their medical history.”

Meanwhile, the Society of Breast Imaging in the United States suggests a four- to six-week wait for breast screening after the second dose.

The CDC has approved the injection of COVID-19 into the thigh, so this is an option women may consider in the U.S.

If women have a personal history of breast cancer or are undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Collen advised getting vaccinated on the opposite side of the body.

In any case, experts in radiology and breast imaging are not in favor of women delaying the COVID-19 vaccine or postponing their appointments for mammography.

“I think it’s very important for women to get tested, but also to get vaccinated,” Seeley said.

The other experts agreed.

“We don’t want this to deter women from vaccination,” Lehman said.

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