Thread by @keikoinboston

1. Went for my annual #mammogram today. 😕 Didn’t bother with pictures so I’m just retweeting last year’s thread.

I lost my friend Caroline last September. She’d been diagnosed with metastatic #BreastCancer before we met and lived 5 years after diagnosis. She was 38. 😔

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1233455621850255361

2. I’m sure that some of you have put off your mammograms due to the pandemic or know someone who has. I would urge you to call and make an appointment. Breast cancer is usually so much more treatable if caught early.

3. My aunt didn’t bother getting regular mammograms or going to the doctor for physicals. By the time she was diagnosed, she had stage 4 breast cancer and she died in her 50s from complications related to it.

4. My cousin (my aunt’s daughter) got diagnosed early and she survived and is still here for her kids. This is why screening is so, so important!

5. I went to a satellite radiology location instead of the main hospital. Only differences due to COVID rules - I had to call from my car to check in and was taken straight to the changing room and I had to wear my mask during the scans.

6. You have to hold your breath during each scan and my tech said that some people were having a harder time with this with their masks on. Not really sure why.

7. I was having my usual difficulties breathing with a mask on + temps were in the teens today, but holding my breath meant not having to breathe for a few seconds. 🤷🏻‍♀️

8. I forgot to use my albuterol inhaler before I went outside (something my pulmonologist recommended for really cold weather because it triggers my asthma) and before my mammogram and then was in a rush to get out of there and forgot after.

9. I don’t think the mask affected my breathing anymore than usual.

10. See last year’s thread for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool and other links. And please call and make an appointment if you’ve been putting your mammogram off. Thank you. 🙏

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1233562296091398144

11. Oh, forgot a couple of things - they didn’t make me fill out the usual paperwork. The tech must have been working from last year’s and just confirmed that I had 2 female relatives who had had breast cancer.

12. She also asked me if I’d had my COVID vaccine yet. I said no and asked her if it mattered? She said they’re not sure yet but they think that the vaccine may inflame your lymph nodes so they’ve just been asking everyone.

13. If you are planning to get your mammogram around the same time you’re getting your COVID shots, you might want to let your mammogram scheduler know and see what they recommend.

thehill.com/homenews/news/…

14. Mass General Hospital put out this press release today: “The implications of swollen lymph nodes following COVID-19 vaccination”.

#mammogram #COVIDVaccine

massgeneral.org/news/press-rel…

15. Unfortunately the link in the press release to guidance for radiologists in the Journal of the American College of Radiology with recommendations for all patients getting imaging tests isn’t working. Will email the hospital.

16. Update:

The link for the pdf for guidance for radiologists is now working. This is a pdf of the journal pre-proof.

"Unilateral Lymphadenopathy Post COVID-19 Vaccination: A Practical Management Plan for Radiologists Across Specialties"

…s-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/pb/assets/raw/…

17. Take-home points from p. 5 of the pdf.

18. Recommendations for breast imaging on pp. 8-9.

#COVIDVaccine #mammogram #lymphadenopathy

19. There are also recommendations for:

- Lung cancer screening (p.9)
- Surveillance of cancer patients for recurrence post treatment (p. 10)

20. From the "Consensus across recommendations" section:

1) vaccinations should
not be delayed

2) vaccination history should be available to the radiologist at time of interpretation of imaging exam

If tech doesn’t ask, make sure to tell them if you’ve had your COVID shot.

21. There was disagreement on the timing of vaccinations and breast imaging but they decided not to further complicate things by rescheduling breast cancer screening given the impact the pandemic has had on patient engagement with screening.

22. But depending on your situation there may be reason to reschedule things. Make sure to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the timing of your COVID shots and any imaging (breast or otherwise).

23. I’m a bit concerned to see this section framed as racial/ethnic considerations instead of class/working schedule considerations.

A wealthy person of color is going to have far more flexibility to reschedule shots or screening than a working class white person.

24. Whatever your race/ethnicity or class, talk with your doctor about what’s best for YOUR situation based on YOUR HEALTH and then do your best to sort out appointments for imaging and COVID shots based on your schedule.

25. I forgot to mention that I actually had to schedule my mammogram in December (they were already booking in March). I had planned to call in January but received a reminder in December and took the first available appointment that worked with my schedule & insurance approval.

26. I’m not yet eligible for COVID shots and timing has to be coordinated with my allergy shots (need a 2 week buffer) and other appointments that may be too difficult to reschedule so I don’t expect to get in for first available appointment after I’m eligible.