Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Calcification in breast

10/28/2003

Question:

My wife has a small calcification in her breast what exactly does this mean?

Answer:

Calcification means a person has deposits of calcium in the breast tissue or ducts that show up in the mammogram as white dots. When the calcifications appears as large chunks, it usually indicates a benign or non cancer lump. They may be normal due to age. When calcium leaves the bones in later years the calcium may deposit itself in the breast as well as other places in the body. This kind of larger calcification could be a fibroadenoma which has calcified. The large chunks cannot fit into the ducts so the radiologist knows it is benign. Microcalcifications are very small deposits of calcium that look like fine specks in the mammogram. This type is usually in the ducts of the breast. If the calcifications appear in a cluster in one breast. it is more likely that it is precancer. If they are new on a mammogram, the doctor rechecks the mammogram in six months to see if there are any changes, The changes would be in the size and shape of the microcalcifications. If there are changes and the microcalcifications look abnormal, a biopsy should be done right away. Thank you for your question.

For more information:

Go to the Breast Cancer health topic.