COVID Vaccine May Affect Mammogram Results

Finding cancer early is one of the most important strategies to prevent deaths. Mammograms are an important tool to discover breast cancer early. According to the American Cancer Society, women between the ages of 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. However, the Society of Breast Imaging explains that some women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine develop swollen lymph nodes under their arm on the same side as their vaccine injection. This is a normal immune reaction to a vaccine. However, breast radiologists look closely for any changes on your mammogram when trying to detect cancer. Swollen lymph nodes under one arm can be seen on a mammogram and can be a rare sign of breast cancer.

In order to prevent false positive results on mammograms, the Society of Breast Imaging recommends scheduling screening mammograms before your first COVID-19 vaccine dose or at least 4 weeks after your second vaccine dose. This reduces the chance that swollen lymph nodes from the vaccine will appear on the mammogram. However, according to guidance published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, it is important that if you have had a vaccine recently, that you share that information with the imaging center and also tell them which side of your body the vaccine was given. Both the Society of Breast Imaging and the American College of Radiology both stress that if you can’t reschedule your mammogram, especially if you are already overdue for your screening exam or cannot reschedule within the next few months, keep your screening mammogram appointment. Regular screening mammograms ensure that breast cancer can be detected as early as possible.