An unusual symptom following COVID-19 vaccination. It is like a symptom of breast cancer

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An unusual side effect from the COVID-19 vaccine has caught the attention of doctors. It is deceptively similar to one of the symptoms of breast cancer. Due to concerns about this, the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) advises women not to have a mammogram earlier than a month – one and a half after the second dose of the vaccine, or to have a screening test before taking the first dose. What is the post-vaccination reaction?

1. A rare symptom reported after being given the coronavirus vaccine – it resembles one of the symptoms of breast cancer. It is a swelling in the armpit, indicating enlarged lymph nodes
2. The SBI recommends that women consider screening before the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine or four to six weeks after receiving the second dose
3. Doctors are not surprised by the enlargement of the lymph nodes following the administration of the vaccine. William Schaffner: This is further evidence that the immune system is responding to the vaccine
4. More information about vaccinations can be found on the Onet homepage.

Symptom after vaccination against COVID-19. It looks like a symptom of breast cancer

Some people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 report a rare condition. Importantly, this symptom is confusingly similar to one of the symptoms of breast cancer. It is a swelling in the armpit, indicating enlarged lymph nodes. This ailment is called axillary adenopathy (in the case of breast cancer, it can be a signal that the cancer has spread – breast cancer metastases most often appear in the axillary lymph nodes).

The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) says axillary adenopathy is “rare” at all and has been rarely reported after HPV or influenza vaccines. Still, women who have recently been vaccinated against COVID-19 may experience it, warns the SBI.

Recommendation: mammography prior to COVID-19 vaccination or one month after

Society of Breast Imaging cites data according to which 11,6 percent. patients who received Moderna’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine experienced swelling or tenderness after the second dose. Lymphadenopathy, i.e. enlargement of the lymph nodes, occurred in more than 1 percent. people participating in clinical trials. These symptoms were also seen in people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but they were less common.

SBI suspects that for both vaccines the “true incidence” of the symptoms mentioned above is “possibly higher”. This may mean that some women did not notice or report them. Meanwhile, the appearance of swelling in the armpit after vaccination may not only be a misleading sign of a developing cancer, but also give a false mammography reading, as a result of which the woman will undergo unnecessary tests.

In light of these concerns, the organization recommends that, if possible, women consider screening before the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine or four to six weeks after receiving the second dose. SBI recommends that before the examination, the doctor asks the patient about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the date of its implementation.

Why does responding to the COVID-19 vaccine resemble the symptoms of breast cancer?

Doctors are not surprised by the enlargement of the lymph nodes following the administration of the vaccine. After all, one of the functions of the lymphatic system is to protect the body against pathogens. As the American Cancer Society (ACS) reminds us, it collects, inter alia, “Viruses and bacteria that reside in tissues outside the bloodstream”. “Your lymph nodes are tiny structures that filter harmful substances and contain immune cells to help fight infection,” explains ACS.

Swelling of the lymph nodes after vaccination is therefore a reaction of the immune system to the administered preparation. “Lymph nodes are part of your immune system, and although the vaccine is injected in the arm, some of the formulation may reach the local lymph nodes,” explains infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine William Schaffner. Apart from the obvious discomfort, swelling, in his opinion, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “This is further evidence that the immune system is responding to the vaccine,” he emphasizes.

How long can the swelling last? Exactly yet unknown, Dr. Amesh A. Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security believes it could go on for about a week or more. Hence, recommending mammography at least one month after immunization is “good advice”.

1. Breast cancer – symptoms, treatment

While a lump or swelling near the breast may be related to the COVID-19 vaccine, don’t forget that it could also be a sign of another infection, and even breast cancer. Therefore, if you do not notice any improvement after a week or if you feel that the discomfort is increasing, see your doctor. “If you feel a lump before immunization, be sure to check it out,” Amesh A. Adalja recommends.

You may be interested in:

1. New report on vaccination reactions in Poland. How many deaths?
2. Your doctor explains what to do before and after vaccinating for COVID-19
3. What happens between the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?

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