Breast calcifications are small calcium-rich areas within the breast. According to the National Institute of Health, most breast calcifications are benign, or non-cancerous. If benign, a breast calcification does not lead to or cause cancer. Breast calcifications cannot be felt on a monthly self-exam of the breast, they are usually found on routine screening mammograms or chest x-rays. These calcium deposits are interpreted by a radiologist who will classify the calcifications to discern follow up and potential further testing.
Benign
The majority of the time, breast calcifications are not cancerous. Most women would not even be aware of their breast calcifications were it not for routine screening and radiological imaging requirements. Most benign breast calcifications will appear as scattered white dots on a breast x-ray, called a mammogram. These dots will not have any specific pattern and will all be consistent in shape and size. The National Institute of Health relates that these dots, called macrocalcifications, are a common finding in women older than 50.
Questionable
Questionable breast calcifications still have less than a two percent chance of being cancerous, according to the California Pacific Medical Center. These calcifications may show up on x-ray in groups or have varying sizes but still will not cluster together and will be dispersed throughout the breast. Follow-up is encouraged for questionable results, sometimes inclusive of a second follow-up mammogram or ultrasound screening. A second opinion is always an excellent option for questionable results.
Suspicious
These calcifications are more likely to indicate a disease or very early stages of breast cancer. Suspicious calcifications, also called microcalcifications, appear as tiny flecks that are focally located in one or two areas of the breast. These breast calcifications can have irregular shapes and sizes and will be tightly clumped or clustered together. The California Pacific Medical Center finds that only one of four of these calcifications proves cancerous. The radiologist might recommend a biopsy, or a small surgical excision, of these calcified tissues to determine if they are cancerous.
