What does breast calcification mean?

Breast calcification means that solid calcium deposits can be seen in mammograms. This phenomenon is often associated with breast cancer, so everyone should pay more attention to this situation. Breast calcification can be divided into benign and malignant. After patients discover breast calcification, they should undergo further examinations and then receive targeted treatment.

The value of mammary gland hyperplasia and calcification in the diagnosis of breast cancer

1. The incidence of breast cancer calcification:

Breast hyperplasia and calcification is one of the common imaging manifestations of breast cancer. Certain specific forms of breast hyperplasia and 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.

Differences between benign and malignant breast hyperplasia and calcification

Compared with benign breast hyperplasia calcifications, the average density of malignant breast hyperplasia calcifications is lower, and the density and size are of greater value in distinguishing benign and 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.