It is important to keep up on regular health care visits despite the pandemic, and that includes getting a mammogram.
Dr. Courtney Garlick is the Medical Director of the Mercy Health Comprehensive Breast Center in Muskegon and she reviewed the current guidelines for who should be having a mammogram, and when.
Dr. Garlick said side effects from the COVID vaccine are being mistaken for breast cancer on some mammograms. She said swollen lymph nodes under the arm in which the shot was given are a sign that the body is responding to the vaccine and building up defenses against the virus.
Breast cancer can also cause swelling in the armpit if cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes so Dr. Garlick said experts are trying to avoid false positives and unnecessary anxiety by scheduling mammograms BEFORE the vaccine, or 4-6 weeks after.
There are Mercy Health Comprehensive Breast Centers located in Muskegon and Grand Rapids.
As the only centers of their kind in West Michigan, they deliver prompt, personal, specialized care for all aspects of breast health, from screening mammograms and lifetime risk analysis to, if necessary, the latest treatments. Call now to schedule your mammogram:
Muskegon
6401 Prairie Street Suite 2300
Norton Shores, Michigan 49444
Grand Rapids
250 Cherry Street SE Level 2
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
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