What Women Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines and Screening Mammograms
“The last thing we want is for people to avoid seeking medical help and to present with advancedstage disease that is more difficult to treat.”
Watch Toward a Cancer-free World on 10TV, Thursdays at 6 a.m., noon, 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Visit us at cancer.osu.edu/blog.
William Farrar, MD, surgical oncologist and CEO of the OSUCCC – James
Timely cancer screening is critically important for the early detection of cancer, and oncologists urge patients not to delay their cancer screenings due to the pandemic.
For women scheduling their annual screening mammogram, however, extra attention should be paid to the timing of the test and COVID-19 vaccination. Breast radiologists have observed swelling in the lymph nodes of the armpit area that could interfere with clarity of breast imaging.
Because of this, the Society of Breast Imaging recently issued guidelines suggesting that women consider either scheduling their screening mammograms before receiving their COVID-19 vaccine or waiting four to six weeks after receiving the vaccine to reduce the risk of false-positive results. These occur when radiologists see something of concern on a screening mammogram that requires additional testing to rule out cancer.
“This enlargement of lymph nodes is a sign the body is responding appropriately to the vaccine, but it can occasionally be seen in the armpit area on a screening mammogram. This could lead to additional unnecessary imaging, such as a focused ultrasound evaluation of the area,” says Clayton Taylor, MD, a breast radiologist with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Taylor notes it is important for the mammography team to know about the timing of vaccination at the time of cancer screening so they can provide their best interpretation of the imaging results.
“We don’t want people to put off their screening exams, nor do we want them to put off getting their COVID-19 vaccine when they become eligible,” he says. “We believe that screening mammograms can be safely and accurately interpreted in patients who have recently received COVID-19 vaccines as long as that vaccination information is shared with health care providers in advance.”
Recently published studies suggest that a substantial decline in cancer screening nationwide is occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a troubling trend that could lead to more advanced disease diagnoses and poorer treatment outcomes.
“Screening mammography is well established and it works. We do not want women to miss out on their annual mammograms because of COVID-19 vaccination,” says Taylor. “Most importantly, for women who have a breast problem—like a lump— COVID-19 vaccination should not delay seeking care and breast imaging if needed.”
“We have reliable cancer screening tools available for colorectal, cervical, breast and prostate cancer, as well as lung cancer screening protocols for individuals who are at increased risk for this disease, based on smoking history. It is so important that people continue to get timely cancer screenings to improve chances of detecting cancer in its earliest—if not precancerous— stages,” says David E. Cohn, MD, MBA, a gynecologic oncologist and chief medical officer at the OSUCCC – James.