Breast Cancer

Calcification

06/27/2002

Question:

I went on to find out about what my doctor has told me is benign--my mammogram a year ago showed a calcification in my right breast--which that doctor did not bother telling me--this year when I had my mammogram my new doctor did tell me and went back on my past mammograms to see when it had shown up if at all on past mammograms------other than tell me I need to go in and get a mammogram every six months, he wouldn`t really answer my questions about what calcification means. Can you tell me please.

Answer:

Calcification means you have deposits of calcium in the breast tissue or ducts that show up on the mammogram as white dots. When these calcifications appear 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 in the ducts so the radiologist knows it is benign. Microcalcifications are very small deposits of calcium that look like fine specks on a 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 shape and size of the microcalcifications. If there are changes and the microcalcifications look abnormal, a biopsy should be done right away.

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Response by:

Janet Trigg, RN, MSN, EdD
Formerly:
College of Nursing
University of Cincinnati