Breast Calcifications Treated at The Breast Center in Baltimore

Breast calcifications are small calcium deposits in the breast that can be detected by a mammogram. Calcifications are divided into two categories:

• Macrocalcifications are coarse deposits that most likely represent degenerative changes in the breast such as aging of the breast arteries, old injuries or inflammations. These deposits are almost always associated with non-cancerous conditions and do not require a biopsy.

• Microcalcifications are tiny specks of calcium in the breast. When many of these tiny specks are seen in one area, it is referred to as a cluster (clustered microcalcifications) and may indicate a small cancer, but many times is benign (non-cancerous).

Breast calcifications are detected by a mammogram. If microcalcifications are detected in your mammogram, your physician may schedule a follow up mammogram in six months to see if there has been any change. In other cases a biopsy may be recommended.

Most of the time biopsies to investigate microcalcifications or clustered microcalcifications are benign, however, if cancer is present it is often found at an early stage when it is most curable.