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Mammograms and the COVID Vaccine: What Women Need To Know – In-Depth Doctor’s Interview

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By on Breast Cancer Medical News

Holly Marshall, MD, Division Chief of Breast Imaging at University Hospital  Cleveland Medical Center talks about a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines that could affect your next mammogram.

Describe the changes in lymph nodes in some patients and radiologists have noticed after getting the COVID vaccine.

MARSHALL: So not everyone, but some patients we will see enlarged or swollen lymph nodes on the mammograms. And that’s because part of the underarm is seen on the mammograms. So occasionally, we will see enlarged lymph nodes.

Is something that patients themselves have been able to notice? Do they feel it?

MARSHALL: So, some patients can feel it. But most of the time, it’s been incidental on a mammogram. So, we see it. And again, it’s not everybody and it’s not an alarming thing.

So, have patients been able to notice these lymph node changes?

MARSHALL: So, some patients can feel swollen or enlarged lymph nodes but most of the time, it’s incidental on the mammogram.

So how long after receiving the vaccine have these changes in the lymph nodes been noticed?

MARSHALL: It could be as soon as two to three days after the vaccine that we’ve seen them.

What’s happening within the lymph nodes that causes swelling?

MARSHALL: Right. OK, so the lymph nodes that we see that are swollen or are enlarged, that is the body’s normal response to receiving the vaccine. So the lymph nodes, cells in the lymph nodes are making antibodies. So, if you are to see the virus later on, you would be ready to fight the virus with the antibodies. So the swollen lymph nodes that are seen is a normal response that the body has to the vaccine.

Should the patients be concerned when they notice the swelling or if the swelling is detected in the lymph nodes?

MARSHALL: The patient should not be concerned because again, this is a normal response to the vaccine that the body is having and the swollen lymph nodes should decrease in size in about four to six weeks. If the lymph nodes have not decreased in size in about two months, then it would be time to get it checked out, to come and have an ultrasound and make sure that there’s nothing else going on.

So, what about the body? Is anything else going on inside the body that might be inducing the swelling besides the lymph nodes?

MARSHALL: So, for everybody who has a mammogram at University Hospitals, we ask if the patient has had the vaccine and if so, which arm, right or left and the date and if it’s the first dose or the second dose. This gives us the information to help us read the mammogram. Other things such as cancer can cause swollen lymph nodes. So that’s why we want to know the vaccine history.

And is there a difference between maybe the first vaccine dose and the second vaccine dose, if they’re receiving Pfizer or Moderna?

MARSHALL: The swelling has been seen in both the first dose and the second dose, as well as both Pfizer and Moderna.

Are men seeing swelling more than women or is this seen across both genders?

MARSHALL: it can be both men and women having swollen lymph nodes, so both.

So, nobody’s more prominent than the other then?

MARSHALL: It doesn’t seem to be the case. It affects both men and women.

How long will it take before the swelling would go down?

MARSHALL: So typically, about four to six weeks, we would want to see the lymph nodes go back to the normal size. So again, if it’s over two months, then it would be time to get the lymph nodes checked out with an ultrasound.

Do you see anything going beyond two months? I mean, have people had their swelling last longer than that?

MARSHALL: We haven’t seen that yet, but it’s still early in the vaccine rollout.

So, at what point should a patient be concerned?

MARSHALL: If the lymph nodes have not decreased in size in about two months, it would be time to get the lymph nodes checked out.

Interview conducted by Ivanhoe Broadcast News.

END OF INTERVIEW

This information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people and medical factors; always consult your physician on medical matters.

If you would like more information, please contact:

JEANNINE A. DENHOLM

JEANNINE.DENHOLM@UHHOSPITALS.ORG

(216) 844-2555

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