Why COVID-19 vaccines increase false red flags of breast cancer – National

One specific side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines is to raise false red flags for some women in Canada and elsewhere, making them think they may have breast cancer.

As a normal side effect of most vaccines, the armpit lymph nodes in the armpit area on the side where vaccination has taken place may be temporarily swollen or enlarged – a sign that the vaccine is working by eliciting an immune response. This is called unilateral axillary lymphadenopathy (UAL).

Although the reaction is not uncommon, higher doses of UAL than usual are reported following the COVID-19 vaccines and are mistaken for a possible symptom of breast cancer.

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

“Of course 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 soft and swell within two to four days after the vaccination of COVID-19, and the swelling can last up to six to eight weeks.

“There is definitely more of a response of the immune system to this type of vaccine than some of the other vaccines our bodies have already seen, so I think that is one explanation why the lymph nodes are so conspicuous after this vaccine,” said Dr. Lisa Mullen, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said.

Some women may feel lumpy, but for others, the swelling is only observed during a mammogram examination, which involves an x-ray of the breasts.

It is a trend that radiologists in Canada and across the border in the United States are starting to see more and more as vaccines continue to roll out.

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

At Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Jean Seely, head of the bust department, says she has seen at least four such cases of women with enlarged lymph nodes who came to a breast examination after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s not something scary, but it’s something our people need to be aware of, because it can be mistaken for breast cancer if we do not have the history of vaccination.”

As a protocol to avoid confusion, women who do come for a breast examination are asked if they have recently received their COVID-19 vaccine.

“If the mammogram or swelling of the armpit has been vaccinated within six weeks, this is what we recommend that we check with their doctors to make sure the swelling disappears within six weeks,” says Seely, who is president of the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging, said.

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

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In the US, about 11 percent of people – in the age group 18 to 64 years who received the Moderna vaccine – experienced swollen lymph nodes after the first dose, and 16 percent after the second shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (CDC). Such cases have also been reported for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Dr. Connie Lehman, director of breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, expressed fears about the link between the COVID-19 vaccines and breast cancer.

‘The vaccinations do not cause breast cancer. They do not cause cancer in the lymph nodes. ”

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

“The signs of breast cancer are so different from the signs of unilateral swollen lymph nodes to a COVID vaccine, so it’s not a diagnostic dilemma and it’s one we feel we can do very well,” she said.

Breast cancer is presented as calcification (calcium deposits), deformity and masses in the breast, while swollen lymph nodes are only in the armpit after vaccination, Lehman explained.

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

“The pathologist will see breast cancer cells in the lymph node so we can differentiate in the few patients where it is necessary to differentiate,” she told Global News.

“But we do not want to recommend biopsies for normal lymph nodes that are larger only because they process the vaccine.”

To avoid confusion, the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging and the Canadian Association of Radiologists recommend, where possible, to schedule screening tests before the first dose or six weeks after any dose in patients at moderate risk.

“Women who are in arrears for screening due to delays in the pandemic or are symptomatic should continue with mammography regardless of the time of vaccination,” reads the updated March guidelines.

In a statement to Global News, Health Canada said: “We encourage women to discuss mammogram appointments with their healthcare professionals, which would be best to advise them in light of their medical history.”

Meanwhile, the Society of Breast Imaging in the US is proposing to wait four to six weeks for the second examination after the second dose.

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If women have a personal history of breast cancer or if they are undergoing breast cancer treatment, Collen is advised to get their vaccination on the other side of their body.

In any case, breast cancer experts and radiologists are not in favor of women delaying a COVID-19 vaccine or postponing their mammogram appointments.

“I really think it’s very important that women are screened, but that they are also vaccinated,” Seeley said.

The other experts agree.

“We do not want to discourage women from taking in women in any way,” Lehman said.

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