Breast Calcifications - Calcium Deposits In The Breast

Breast calcifications are tiny calcium deposits in the breast tissues that cannot be felt during a self-exam or by your doctor, but can only be seen through a mammogram.

Types of calcifications
Calcium deposits in the breast or calcification have two types. Microcalcifications are very fine white spots of calcium deposits in the breast as how they appear on a mammogram. Microcalcifications most often are not associated with cancer but about a third of cases are related with an early stage of breast cancer. Macrocalcifications look like large white dots on a mammogram, a little larger than microcalcifications. In most cases, they are not cancerous, which means they are benign.

Professional actions depend on the type of calcium deposits in the breast. If there is presence of microcalcifications, doctors may advise a magnified mammogram of the area where there is calcification, a repeat mammogram in 3 to 6 months, core biopsy of the calcifications, and surgical biopsy performed using needle localization. Although most breast calcifications are benign, doctors usually watch for irregular shapes or close-knit clusters, which may suggest breast cancer.

Biopsy of breast calcifications
Calcium deposits in the breast do not usually show any lump so it may be difficult to point to the area where calcification occurs. A biopsy is necessary using any of the following techniques.

Doctors perform a needle (core) biopsy with the aid of detailed images of breast tissues by linking a mammogram to a computer. These images help doctors to guide a needle to the calcifications area and take out tissue samples. In a needle biopsy, the patient is subjected under a local anesthesia to numb the area.

Needle or wire-localization with surgical incision is the next alternative if needle biopsy did not produce clear results or was unsuccessful in taking out the calcium deposits in the breast sufficiently. This procedure has two stages and usually takes place on the same day. Localization may be performed the day before an operation in some occasions.

A mammogram is required to have an image of the calcium deposits in the breast when doing the localization procedure. A doctor injects a local anesthetic on the calcified area to numb it and then insert a thin wire to which a radioactive drug will be injected to penetrate the calcified area.

Causes of calcifications
Non-cancerous calcium deposits in the breast are caused by calcium enclosed in the fluid of a benign cyst, dilated milk duct, injury to the breast (post-traumatic fact necrosis calcification), inflammation, dermal calcification caused by metallic particles from powders, deodorants, lotions, breast cancer radiation therapy, calcification of arteries and in a fibroadenoma (a non-cancerous growth).