WICHITA, Canada (KWCH) – A Wichita breast cancer specialist shared her concerns about the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine for breast cancer survivors.
Dr. Therese Cusick said she has seen many of these patients in Wichita with a common side effect after receiving swollen lymph nodes in the chest area.
The vaccine can cause temporary inflammation of the lymph nodes next to the vaccine and is scaring women that the cancer has come back.
“For most people this won’t happen, but for some people it will, so it’s very important to get vaccinated,” Dr. Cusick said. “We just want to avoid unnecessary worries and there’s no reason to cause anxiety when all of this will improve on its own.”
She asks women to get the shot in the opposite arm of the cancer and have the mammogram done before getting vaccinated.
If you have already received the vaccine, it is recommended that you delay the mammogram for 4 to 6 weeks.
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