"If lymphadenopathy is felt, especially if hard and painless, it should not be ignored and urgent specialist advice should be sought." " Swollen underarm lymph nodes without breast symptoms or signs is not a very common breast cancer presentation, but it can happen," advises Dr Kechagioglou. But lymphadenopathy can be another indicator. We're pretty clued up on the most common symptoms of breast cancer: a breast lump or swelling in the breast, breast pain, sudden change in breast shape or nipple inversion. If multiple underarm nodes are affected with cancer, patients may experience swelling in the arm and/or hand (lymphoedema) on the same side as the cancer." How common is lymphadenopathy as a symptom of breast cancer? " If breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the nodes usually feel hard and painless, unlike when they are infected. The lymph nodes tend to swell either because breast cancer cells have gone inside them, or because they over-produce immune cells to fight the breast cancer," says the oncologist. "Breast cancer can cause swollen lymph nodes under the arm or the neck usually on the same side as the cancer, but sometimes could be the opposite side. Lymph nodes can be felt in your neck and also your under arm Tharakorn // Getty Images Why can swollen lymph nodes be a symptom of breast cancer? Other causes of lymphadenopathy includes cancer, medications and autoimmune diseases," she explains. The most common cause of lymphadenopathy is infection, such as a sore throat, and lymph nodes usually feel tender when this happens. They also exist inside our bodies and next to our organs, where we are not able to feel. "Lymph nodes can be found in our neck, in our underarm areas and in our groins, all areas that we can feel. "Lymphadenopathy means swelling of the lymph nodes, which are oval-shaped organs around our body and part of our immune system which fights infections," says Dr Kechagioglou. Here, Dr Penny Kechagioglou, Clinical Oncologist specialising in Breast at GenesisCare, explains everything you should know about swollen lymph nodes in relation to breast cancer, and why they can also occur as a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. It's a known side effect, and you should simply monitor your body for a few weeks to ensure you don't notice any other changes that may also be in line with breast cancer. The bottom line is that if you notice lymphadenopathy as a result of the Moderna vaccine, you don't need to worry. The Moderna vaccine is not yet available in the UK - currently only the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca are in use here - but it is said to be rolling out in spring, so could come any time in the next few weeks. In clinical trials, it was found to be present in around 11% of people who received the Moderna vaccine after their first dose and 16% after their second dose in the trials. The symptom in question is known as ' lymphadenopathy' which is more commonly known as swollen lymph nodes. In a bid to ensure nobody is unnecessarily scared, we spoke to a cancer specialist to break down exactly why the side effect can occur after the vaccine and what it means. But as with many vaccines, there can be side effects, and according to data from initial clinical trials, one vaccine in particular is known to yield symptoms that may easily be confused with breast cancer in women. As we know, the COVID vaccine roll out is now in full swing in the UK, and as the weeks progress, younger adults are being invited to get their first dose of the vaccination which will protect them against coronavirus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |