A reported side effect of the coronavirus vaccine in some women has prompted a warning from doctors as it could be confused with a common sign of breast cancer.
Dr. Holly Marshall, a chest radiologist at university hospitals in Cleveland, told local Fox 8 news station that some of her patients who received the COVID-19 vaccine have had axillary adenopathy, also known as swollen lymph nodes.
“It’s actually a normal body response to the vaccine,” Marshall told the outlet when he warned that this side effect could be mistaken for signs of breast cancer. “It means the body is making antibodies to fight the COVID-19 infection.”
Many patients who have reported this have found swollen lymph nodes under the arm that gave them the shot, she said.
CASES OF ‘COVID ARM’ AFTER VACCINATION, DOCUMENTED BY DERMATOLOGISTS
“We also see swollen lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer, so that’s the concern there. So we ask everyone who has a mammogram if they’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine, what dose, when, and which side?” she added.
For example, some subjects for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine reported side effects such as swollen lymph nodes, as well as fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain, according to the study results, noting that these side effects were more common. experienced between the ages of 18 and 55.
CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
Marshall said many patients notice swollen lymph nodes two to four days after receiving the vaccine, with the lymph nodes returning to their normal size two to four weeks later.
She cautioned that anyone with swollen lymph nodes for longer than that period will need further investigation by a doctor.
“This really shows how important it is for women to have annual mammogram screening from the age of 40. Don’t wait too long,” said the doctor.