The majority of the time, breast calcifications do not mean cancer. The California Pacific Medical Center says the majority of calcifications in the breast are benign calcifications which are made up of small deposits of calcium, as opposed to cancer cells. However, breast calcifications should still be evaluated because in some instances, they can be indicative of a very early form of breast cancer, which can usually be treated successfully. Calcifications can usually be detected by feel and can also be identified on a mammogram, where they appear as white spots.
Three Classifications of Calcifications
There are three different types of calcifications in the breast, and only one of the three possibilities is indicative of cancer. The first type is benign calcification, and according to California Pacific Medical Center, this is the most common type of calcification. When a calcification is benign, the usual course of action is to continue to monitor it with routine mammograms. The second type of calcification refers to a probably benign calcification. This means that there is less than a 2 percent chance that the calcification is indicative of, or will become, breast cancer. The third and final type of calcification is a suspicious calcification. Even suspicious calcifications do not necessarily mean cancer; a biopsy must be performed to determine whether the calcification is an early form of breast cancer. According to California Pacific Medical Center, only one in four to five patients with a suspicious calcification actually has breast cancer, and the cancer is still usually very early.
Determine if a Calcification is Cancer
After you discover a calcification, a doctor will classify it into one of the above three groups using a series of tests. X-rays may be used to determine the shape, size and quantity of the calcifications. The University of Cincinnati Netwellness website offers guidelines to help you determine whether a calcification is cancer. Benign, non-cancerous calcifications are generally large chunks, which are visible and do not fit in the breast ducts. Microcalcifications--tiny specks in the breast ducts--are more likely to be indicative of cancer or pre-cancerous. If clusters of microcalcifications appear, or if they appear within one breast only, the chances that they are precancerous is higher. A needle biopsy or surgical biopsy may also be required to draw cells from the calcification in order to evaluate them under a microscope to check for the presence of abnormal cells that indicates cancer.
Non-Cancerous Causes of Calcifications
Aging is one major cause of breast calcifications. Bone disorders or conditions is another. As a person ages, calcium from the bones tends to break down and leave the bones. As it does so, it can become deposited in other parts of the body. When calcium becomes deposited in the breast, these breast calcifications can occur.
Monitoring Calcifications
Benign calcifications do not need to be monitored. They will not change from benign to malignant. If a calcification is cancer, or malignant, it is always cancerous and just becomes more dangerous as it grows. According to California Pacific Medical Center, although the risk of possibly benign calcifications actually being cancer is less than 2 percent, these possibly benign calcificaitons should still be monitored. The calcification can be monitored as part of a mammogram, but the frequency of mammograms should be increased form every year to every six months. If no changes are seen in the calcification within a year, patients can return to their regularly scheduled annual mammogram.
Dietary Factors
Diet and calcium supplements do not cause calcifications, nor does an excess of calcium in your diet. Hormone therapy is also not a cause. Bone breakdown is the most common explanation, but there is no clear reason why some women get calcifications and others do not.
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