Lehman said, the Covid shot should be given in the arm on the other side. The same decision was made for similar findings in a recently vaccinated man who had a chest CT to screen for lung cancer, and in a woman with a history of melanoma.įor patients undergoing treatment for cancer in one breast, Dr. Nothing else was wrong and no further tests were needed. In a man with a history of bone cancer, a chest CT scan performed as part of a follow-up found swollen lymph nodes in one armpit - on the side where he’d recently had a Covid inoculation. Doctors determined that no more tests would be needed unless the swollen nodes lasted more than six weeks. She’d recently received a Covid vaccination in the left arm. In another case, a woman who previously had cancer in her right breast had a routine mammogram that showed an enlarged lymph node in her left armpit, and no other abnormality. The vaccine had most likely caused the swelling. She described one patient with a newly diagnosed breast tumor who had swollen lymph nodes on the same side, and had recently received a Covid shot in the arm on that side.Ī biopsy was performed, an important step to determine whether there were malignant cells in the nodes that would then help decide a course of treatment. ![]() In recently vaccinated people who have cancer and develop enlarged lymph nodes, it may be necessary to perform more tests, including a biopsy of the nodes, Dr. But some cancer treatments may interfere with the body’s ability to respond fully to the vaccine, and the American Cancer Society advises patients to consult with their oncologists about vaccination. People who have cancer are generally advised to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, particularly because they are at higher risk of dying from Covid than the general population. One way people could avoid the problem would be to postpone routine mammograms and other imaging for at least six weeks after the last dose of vaccine, according to an article by an expert panel in the journal Radiology, published on Wednesday.Ī professional group, the Society of Breast Imaging, offers similar advice: “If possible, and when it does not unduly delay care, consider scheduling screening exams prior to the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination or 4-6 weeks following the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccination.”īut the expert panel also cautioned that nonroutine imaging, needed to help deal with an illness or other symptoms that might indicate cancer, should not be delayed. We don’t think it’s cancer but can’t tell,’ or worse, ‘We think it might be cancer.’” ![]() “I can’t imagine the anxiety of getting the scan and hearing, ‘We found a node that is large. Lehman, an author of two journal articles on the problem and the chief of breast imaging at the Massachusetts General Hospital. “I am particularly eager to get the word out to all the patients undergoing surveillance after successful prior treatment of cancer,” said Dr. But the enlarged lymph nodes show up as white blobs on mammograms and chest scans, resembling images that can indicate the spread of cancer from a tumor in the breast or elsewhere in the body. It can also occur after other vaccinations, including those for flu and the human papillomavirus (HPV). ![]() The swelling is a normal reaction by the immune system to the vaccine, and occurs on the same side as the arm where the shot was given. Coronavirus vaccinations can cause enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit or near the collarbone, which may be mistaken for a sign of cancer.Īs vaccines are rolled out across the country, doctors are seeing more and more of these swollen nodes in recently immunized people, and medical journals have begun publishing reports aimed at allaying fears and helping patients avoid needless testing for a harmless condition that will go away in a few weeks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |