>>> NOW TO AN IMPORTANT HEALTH
ALERT, HOW THE COVID VACCINE IS
POSSIBLY LEAD TO GO SWOLLEN
LYMPH NODES AND CAUSE SOMETHING
WOMEN TO GET FALSE POSITIVES ON
MAMMOGRAMS.
SO WE BROUGHT TWO DOCTORS IN TO
HELP SORT THROUGH THIS
CONFUSION.
HERE WITH WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW,
WE HAVE NBC NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR CORRESPONDENT DR.
NATALIE AZAR AND DR. CHRISTY
FUN, LADIES, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> SO, JILL HAS THIS PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE.
IM GOING TO LET JILL TALK ABOUT
IT FOR A MOMENT.
>> SO I HAVE A HISTORY, MANY OF
US DO, MY GRANDMOTHER DIED, MY
MOTHERS MOTHER OF BREAST CANCER.
MY MOTHER HAD A DOUBLE MA
MASTECTOMY.
I WENT FOR ME MY YEAR MAMMOGRAM.
SHE SAID THERES SOMETHING WE
HAVE SEEN HERE WE HAVENT SEEN
BEFORE.
SHE SAID WHAT SIDE DID YOU GET
YOUR VACCINE ON?
SHE SAID WE HAVE BEEN FINDING
LYMPH NODES THAT ARE BENIGN IN
THE SIDE FOR WOMEN AND MEN WHERE
YOU GET THE VACCINE.
SO THEY HAD TO BIOPSY IT.
IM 45.
BECAUSE OF MY PAST HISTORY.
IT CAME BACK BENIGN.
I TOLD MY MOTHER AFTERWARDS AND
SHE SAID TO ME, I DIDNT TELL
YOU, EITHER, BECAUSE I DIDNT
WANT TO SCARE YOU.
THAT HAPPENED TO ME, TOO.
SO I JUST WANTED ALL WOMEN TO
KNOW WHAT ITS REALLY ABOUT SO
YOU AT LEAST HAVE SOME COMFORT
IF YOU DO FEEL SOMETHING.
>> DR. NATALIE, FIRST OF ALL,
WHAT WAS THAT LUMP AND WHY IS
THIS BECOMING APPARENTLY MORE
COMMON?
>> YOU MAY CONTROL WHEN WE
STARTED INOCULATING EVERYBODY
LAST WINTER, WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT THE VACCINE CAUSING LOCAL
REACTION SIDE EFFECTS, IF YOU
WILL.
THE SORE ARM, A LOW GRADE FEVER,
MUSCLE ACHES. WE DIDNT REALLY TALK ABOUT THE
WE DIDNT REALLY TALK ABOUT THE
FACT THAT YOU COULD GET SOME
INTEL
SWELLING OR REACTION IN YOUR
LYMPH NODES.
WHAT MADE IT UNUSUAL IS WE HAD
150 MILLION PEOPLE GETTING
VACCINATED IN SUCH A SHORT TIME
AND, OF COURSE, WITH OUR MEDIA
LENS ON THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS
REALLY SOMETHING THAT WAS
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
SA NELL, I THINK YOU ARE THE
ONLY PERSON AT THE ANCHOR DESK
WHO WAS THERE LAST WEEK WHEN WE
TALKED ABOUT WHY THIS IS
HAPPENING.
THIS IS JUST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM,
YOU KNOW, BEING TRIGGERED BY THE
VACCINE IN THE FORM OF THESE B
CELLS WHICH ARE SITTING IN THE
LYNPH NODES UNDER THE ARM ON THE
SIDE THAT YOU GOT THE VACCINE
THAT ARE BASICALLY WAITING TO
CHURN OUT ANTIBODIES TO
CORONAVIRUS AFTER A VACCINATION
IF YOU EVER ARE IN THE FUTURE
EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS.
>> FULL DISCLOSURE, I WAS
SITTING HERE AND I WAS A LITTLE
NERVOUS OF GETTING A CALL BACK
OR WHATEVER.
AND I THINK IT WAS A RADIOLOGIST
AND SHE SAID LIKE, WAIT, YOU HAD
THE VACCINE THAT SIDE.
SHE SAID COME BACK IN SIX
MONTHS, ITS FINE.
WE DIDNT EXPECT THIS.
ITS HAPPENING.
>> DR. FUNK, THESE HAVE BEEN
LEADING TO A LOT OF FALSE
POSITIVES ON MAAM KNOW
POSITIVES ON MAMMOGRAMS.
IS THERE A WAY TO AVOID THAT?
>> THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS.
ONE IS TO NOT GET YOUR
MAMMOGRAM.
TIME IT TO IF YOU EVER GET A
VACCINATION OR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS
AFTER YOUR FINAL DOSE.
THIS WILL DELAY A FOUR TO SIX
WEEKS WILL NOT IMPACT CANCER
INCIDENTS OR SURVIVAL RATE.
SO DONT WORRY.
NOW, IF YOU ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR
BREAST CANCER OR DUE FOR
DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING, OR PERHAPS
YOU HAVE A NEW SYMPTOM LIKE A
BREAST LUMP, I DONT CARE WHEN
YOU GOT YOUR VACCINATION, GO GET
THAT ADDRESSED.
>> BUT THATS AN IMPORTANT
NUANCE.
AT 4 TO 6 WEEKS, WE GOT --
NOBODY TOLD ME THAT.
>> MINE WAS LIKE FIVE DAYS.
>> AFTER.
THATS A REALLY IMPORTANT NUANCE
THAT AFTER YOU GET YOUR VACCINE,
WAIT SIX WEEKS BEFORE YOU GET
YOUR MAMMOGRAM IF THERE IS NO
OTHER ISSUE.
>> EXACTLY.
AND YOULL BE NO WORSE FOR THE
WAIT AND YOU WONT HAVE THAT
FALSE POSITIVE ALARM THAT SENDS
YOU SPIRALING DOWN THE WORST
CASE SCENARIO.
>> AND DOCTOR, WHAT ARE THE NEXT
STEP AND WHAT FOLLOW-UP
QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU BE ASKING
YOUR DOCTOR?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
SO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THESE
MAMMOGRAMS IS WE SEE A BIG WHITE
SPLOTCH IN THE ARMPIT ON MAMO ON
ONE SIDE AND NOT THE OTHER.
THAT IS WHAT IS CREATING ALL THE
FALSE ALARMS.
WHAT IS NEXT?
A TARGETED ULTRASOUND OF THAT
LYMPH NODE OF THAT AREA.
ITS FAST, PAINLESS, NO
RADIATION AND SUPER INFORMATIVE.
A NORMAL NODE IS ALMOND SHAPE,
BIG WHITE CENTER.
A REACTIVE NODE RESPONDING TO
THE PRESENCE OF THAT VACCINE IS
BASICALLY A NORMAL NODE WRB BUT
REALLY PUMPED UP.
SO ITS VERY ENLARGED AND
DRAMATIC, SO MUCH SO THAT ITS
HARD FOR TO US CASUALLY DIGS
MISS IT AS TOTALLY NORMAL, BUT
IT IS.
ITS NORMAL AND REACTIVE.
THAT IS THE MAMMOGRAM CIRCLED IN
YELLOW IS THE LYMPH NODE.
>> REALLY QUICKLY HERE AS WE PUT
THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS ON YOUR
SCREEN, DR. NAT, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT CAN ALSO HAPPEN
TO GUYS, RIGHT?
>> KIT HAPPEN TO MEN,
ABSOLUTELY.
AND YOU COULD EVEN HAVE, YOU
KNOW, THIS REACTION IN THE LYMPH
NODE AND NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF
IT.
THEY CAN ENLARGE AND RECEDE.
SO IF YOURE A MAN AND THIS
HAPPENS, YOU SHOULD REEL REACH
OUT TO YOUR DOCTOR.
MEN CAN CERTAINLY GET BREAST
CANCER, BUT THEY FOLLOW THE SAME
GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF TIMING OF
THE VACCINE AND ALL OF THAT.
>> JILL, THANK YOU FOR -- YOU
KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE DEALT WITH
THAT QUIETLY, BUT THANK YOU FOR
SHARING, TOO.
>> WE JUST WANT TO HELP AND SAY
THERE MAY BE LESS REASON TO
WORRY.
>> BUT, AGAIN, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE