KEY POINTS
- The coronavirus vaccine can cause inflammation of the lymph nodes
- Side effects reflect the signs of breast cancer
- Experts recommend having a mammogram before a shot or four weeks after the second dose
An alarming side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine is being reported among women after receiving the shot of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
There have been recent reports of women finding large, painful lumps under their arm after receiving their COVID-19 shots. Swollen lymph nodes are a known side effect of the vaccine, but they can also reflect signs of breast cancer.
“I panicked, I’ll admit, initially … I had a huge, visible, painful knot,” Dr. Bridget Rogers told CBS4’s Kathy Walsh. Rogers is a radiologist specializing in breast imaging in Solis mammography.
“I tried to reassure myself by remembering that it was actually a signal that the vaccine was doing what it was supposed to do, activating your immune system,” he added.
Dr. Rogers had just gotten her second dose of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine the day before. Although the lump “started to improve” two days later, he says there have been other reports of visibly increased lymph nodes from his colleagues.
Researchers at the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trial reported 64 cases of swollen lymph nodes among its 2,000 recipients.
Experts have advised patients who have received the new coronavirus vaccine to reschedule annual mammography tests before receiving the vaccine or four weeks after the second dose to avoid confusion.
Dr. Tan Yah Yuen, a breast surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, warned that swollen lymph nodes in the armpits could lead doctors to falsely suspect breast cancer.
“If the clinical suspicion is that the swollen lymph node is due to vaccination and not breast cancer, a repeated ultrasound can be done in two or three months to monitor the swollen lymph nodes for resolution,” he said. dir Yuen in The Straits Times.
Swollen lymph nodes may be seen after the first or second dose. Side effects can also occur in men. The disease usually resolves within 10 days of vaccination.
Women suffering from cancer remission are also advised to discuss their mammogram or ultrasound checks with their doctor. Yuen also recommended putting the vaccine on the opposite arm to avoid false recurrence alarms.
