Breast calcification

I believe that many female friends do not know what kind of disease the symptom of nipple pitting calcification is, and they know even less about its cause and treatment. This will lead to an increased incidence of breast pitting calcification, so it is recommended that you can read the content introduced in the article. Breast calcification refers to breast cancer, which occurs because of calcification caused by blockage of the breast glands.

1. The incidence of breast cancer calcification

Calcification is one of the common imaging manifestations of breast cancer. Certain specific forms of calcification are risk factors for breast cancer. Statistics show that 65% of breast cancers have calcification, of which 70% are malignant calcifications.

2. The only X-ray sign of early breast cancer

Clustered microcalcifications are often the only X-ray sign of early breast cancer. The morphology, size, number and density of microcalcifications can reflect the nature and extent of the lesion. Tiny calcifications may be located inside or around the mass, with a total number of 6 to 15, with uneven density and varying sizes. Mammography can improve the diagnosis rate of occult cancer, microcancer (less than 10mm in diameter) and early cancer. It is difficult to characterize a mass with a diameter less than 10 mm, but fine sand-type calcification is often a warning sign of malignant lesions. If there are signs such as surrounding structural disorder, bilateral asymmetry, and thickened vascular shadows at the same time, the possibility of malignant lesions is greater.

3. Formation of microcalcifications in breast malignant lesions

The number of tiny calcifications per unit area in malignant breast lesions is large, which may be caused by the combined effect of multiple factors such as cancer tissue necrosis and cancer cell secretion. The different densities and sizes of calcification points may be due to different lengths of calcium salt deposition time. As time goes by, the calcification that is formed first has a relatively high density and a relatively large volume.

4. Differences between benign and malignant calcifications

Compared with benign calcifications, the average density of malignant calcifications is lower, and their density and size are of greater value in distinguishing benign from malignant breast diseases. The distribution of tiny calcifications in breast X-rays seems to have no pattern to follow, but when pathology finds that the cancer occurs in the terminal duct, the calcification may be located in large areas of necrotic tissue or between cancer cells, or it may exist in the superior duct or at the bifurcation of the duct or in the adjacent alveolar cavity.

5. Formation of calcification in the cancerous area

Regional calcification of the cancer focus may be fine sand type or mixed type, and calcification within the duct may be worm type, which may be related to abnormal tumor secretion and drainage along the duct. When the tumor is located in a larger duct, calcification far away from the lesion is often located in the peripheral lower-level duct, mainly in the form of fine sand. It may be caused by abnormal metabolites of cancer cells or backflow of cancer cells stimulating the terminal ducts and alveoli. Large numbers, fine particles, rough edges, and locations inside or outside the mass shadow indicate malignancy.