Fewer women are scheduling mammograms due to COVID-19 fears, according to a local doctor.

At TriStar Summit Medical Center, Dr. Rhonda Halcomb with Centennial Women’s group, said they’re being careful.

“From the time that you check in here, patients are pre-screened and screened, we provide masks and hand sanitizer here in the building, and here in the office," said Halcomb.

Even though we’re in the middle of a pandemic, she said routine mammograms are still important.

“Breast cancer, in general, is the number one cancer in women.”

She’s sad that fewer people are showing up, or postponing their routine checks.

“It breaks my heart in general that people are scared to take care of themselves,” Dr. Halcomb said.

First hand, she has seen how mammograms can save lives.

“Breast cancer to me has affected several of my family members. I had early breast cancer detected by screening.”

Dr. Halcomb said death rates have decreased since the 1970s due to more people getting diagnosed with breast cancer - early.

“Mammograms detect breast cancer before someone can feel a breast cancer before the doctor can feel the breast cancer in the breast,” Dr. Halcomb said, “Mammograms are just as important as they’ve ever been.”

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s estimated that by the end of this year, approximately 30% of new cancer diagnoses for women will be for breast cancer.

One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. But there are also nearly 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, which means breast cancer can be treated and managed if it’s caught early.

Dr. Lori Frederick with Oklahoma University's Health Breast Health Network said women should get yearly mammograms starting at age 40, regardless of family history.

"We know that breast cancer is most commonly not related to your family history, so that’s kind of a misconception out there," she said.

She recommended 3D mammograms whenever possible.

"It helps us identify cancer that may be hidden – with the 3D imaging," she said.

Men can also get breast cancer, although it is much rarer. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates about 2,700 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

Although we are still in a pandemic, it’s important not to neglect yearly screenings. Frederick said she is seeing things pick back up.

"I think the word got out that you need to come in and get this done," she said.

It could save your life.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Intermountain Healthcare doctors announced new mammogram guidelines Tuesday in response to a surprising new side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.

They say women who recently received a COVID-19 vaccine may have to postpone their yearly mammogram.

“When one receives a vaccination there is an inflammatory response in the arm,” said Dr. Brett Parkinson, medical director of Intermountain Healthcare’s Breast Care Center.

In the past four weeks, doctors have seen swollen lymph nodes on screening mammograms of women who have recently been vaccinated.

“Whenever we see these on a normal screening mammogram we call those patients back because it can either mean metastatic breast cancer which travels to the lymph nodes or lymphoma or leukemia.”

While inflammation is the body’s normal response to a vaccine, Dr. Parkinson says it’s surprising how many swollen lymph nodes they’ve been seeing.

“With the Moderna vaccine, it’s about 11% after the first dose and 16% after the second dose. We believe it’s comparable for the Pfizer vaccine as well.”

In response, Intermountain rolled out new guidelines in accordance with the Society of Breast Imaging.

Women should get their mammogram before their first dose of the vaccine, or wait four weeks after their second dose of the vaccine.

“We don’t want these patients to get a false positive to have this sort of alarm,” Parkinson said.

If there are worrisome symptoms, such as a suspicious lump, Dr. Parkinson says don’t delay getting a mammogram.

“Breast cancer kills women between 40 and 50,000 a year. Many of those deaths are needless,” Parkinson said. “I know that screening mammographies are the only test that has been shown over the last 30 to 40 years to decrease the death rate of breast cancer.”

If you have an opportunity to get the vaccine, Dr. Parkinson urges you to get it because appointments are limited. He adds that postponing a mammogram screening a month or two won’t be as impactful.

This story was first reported by Tamara Vaifanua at KSTU.