Lymph node enlargement, a side effect of the corona vaccine, can be mistaken for cancer

Coronavirus vaccination can cause swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpit or near the collarbone, which can be mistaken for signs of cancer.

As the vaccine is deployed nationwide, doctors are increasingly looking at these swollen lymph nodes in recently vaccinated people, and medical journals relieve fear and eliminate unnecessary innocence of patients. A few weeks I started publishing reports aimed at helping avoid testing.

Swelling is a normal reaction of the immune system to the vaccine and occurs on the same side as the arm where the injection was made. It can also occur after other vaccinations, such as influenza and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. The patient may or may not notice it. However, the enlarged lymph nodes appear as white masses on mammograms and chest scans, similar to images showing the spread of cancer from tumors in the breast or elsewhere in the body.

“We want to inform all patients undergoing surveillance after successful pretreatment for cancer,” said two authors, Dr. Constance D. Lehman. Journal article on the issue Head of Breast Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. “I can’t imagine the anxiety of scanning and hearing.” We found a big node. We don’t think it’s cancer, but we can’t say “I think it might be cancer.”

Armpit swelling was a recognized side effect in a large trial of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. In a Moderna study, 11.6% of patients reported swollen lymph nodes after the first dose and 16% after the second dose. The incidence of Pfizer-BioNTech is low, reported by 0.3% of patients. However, these numbers only reflect what the patient and his doctor noticed, and radiologists said the actual rate was probably higher, with more cases on images such as mammograms, MRIs, and CT scans. It states that it may appear.

This condition was not mentioned in the reported side effects Briefing document About Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration.On Saturday, the agency Approved company vaccine for emergency use..

Dr. Lehman asked the Imaging Center if the patient had been vaccinated with Covid and said it was important to record the date of the shot and the arm it was given.

Her clinic includes this recommendation in a letter to patients whose screening detected swelling but no other abnormalities. “The armpit lymph nodes that appear on the mammogram are larger on the side that was recently vaccinated. Lymph node swelling is common after Covid-19 vaccination and the body against the vaccine. However, if you feel a lump in your armpit that lasts more than 6 weeks after vaccination, please let your health care provider know. “

One way people can avoid the problem is to postpone regular mammograms and other diagnostic imaging for at least 6 weeks after the last dose of the vaccine. Article by expert panel In the journal Radiology published on Wednesday.

Expert group, Breast Imaging SocietyOffers similar advice. “If possible, consider scheduling screening tests before the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine or 4-6 weeks after the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine, if care is not overly delayed. . “

However, the panel of experts also warned that the extraordinary diagnostic imaging needed to deal with diseases and other symptoms that may indicate cancer should not be delayed. Vaccination should not be done either.

People with cancer are advised to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, especially because they are at higher risk of dying from Covid than the general public. However, some cancer treatments can interfere with the body’s ability to respond completely to the vaccine, American Cancer Society advises patients Talk to an oncologist about vaccination.

Recently vaccinated people with cancer and swollen lymph nodes may need to perform more tests, including a biopsy of the lymph nodes, Dr. Lehman said.

She described a patient with a newly diagnosed breast tumor who had swollen lymph nodes on the same side and recently received a Covid shot on that side of the arm.

A biopsy was performed. This is an important step in determining the presence of malignant cells in the lymph nodes and helps determine treatment strategy. The cancer was negative. The vaccine is most likely causing swelling.

In another case, a woman who had cancer in her right breast had a normal mammogram showing swelling of the lymph nodes in her left armpit, but had no other abnormalities. She was recently vaccinated with Covid on her left arm. Doctors have determined that no further tests are needed unless the lymph node swelling lasts for more than 6 weeks.

In a man with a history of osteosarcoma, a chest CT scan as part of a follow-up revealed swollen lymph nodes in the armpit on the side recently vaccinated with Covid. There was nothing else wrong and no further testing was needed. Similar findings were found in recently vaccinated men who underwent chest CT to screen for lung cancer and women with a history of melanoma.

For patients being treated for cancer in one breast, Dr. Lehman said the Covid Shot should be given to the other arm.vaccine You can also inject it into your thighs To prevent problems with swollen lymph nodes.

“If we don’t start recording vaccination status at the Imaging Center right away, this can really affect many people,” Dr. Lehman said. “I also want cancer patients to know that they can be vaccinated on the other side or even on the legs to avoid confusion.”