DON’T DELAY MAMMOGRAMS
Many Press Releases recently announced that women should wait to schedule their mammogram until after the second COVID immunization. This is because the COVID immunization may cause false alarms on the screening such as enlarged lymph nodes on the side of immunization. The breast is primarily drained by the lymphatic system so, with any kind of immunization, the lymph nodes will be occupied performing their role in the immune function instead of their role in draining the breast. Experienced radiologists have seen this scenario often and we can easily correlate the timing of the immunization with any lymph node enlargement, called adenopathy.
Let’s think about whether the recent press-released announcement is reasonable for the public. First off, many women will have already missed last year’s screening exam because they deemed it unsafe to venture out, especially during stay-at-home orders with the lack of adequate protective masks for so long. Secondly, the Press releases did not distinguish whether we are talking about a woman for a “screening mammogram” for an annual exam or whether the woman has a “diagnostic complaint” and maybe erroneously waiting with a breast lump up to two months without seeking care. Significant breast issues such as lump, focal pain, nipple or skin retraction, or new discharge need to be addressed immediately.
We recommend looking at the whole picture for each patient to determine what is the best course of action. Under the current Press announcement from the Society of Breast Imaging and other groups, we do NOT agree with the recommendation that a woman “may consider waiting one month after the second immunization before seeking mammography’. Doing the math, with 21-28 days between the first and second shots, this may result in a two-month diagnosis after the first shot. A woman with a breast lump or significant breast symptoms should not wait- she should seek immediate attention to avoid a potential delay in diagnosis. This point of view is corroborated (agrees with ours) by the Mayo Clinics.
Kelly McAleese MD
Medical Director, and Breast Radiologist
The Women’s Imaging Center
