Do calcifications eventually turn malignant?
Calcifications are small deposits of calcium that look like fine specks on the mammogram. In most cases they are benign and normal but about 20% of microcalcifications are indicators of cancer or precancer. As a person ages, calcium leaves the bone and is deposited in such places as the arteries, joints and in the breast. Benign calcifications are identified as well defined, widely scattered and mostly the same size. However, microcalcifications are one of the most important signs of early breast cancer found in mammograms. It is sometimes the only finding in 30-50% of breast cancer. Calcifications that are highly associated with breast cancer have definite characteristics: linear in shape, branching, irregular contour and are clustered in a small group. The number of calcifications does not indicate whether they are benign or malignant as cancer can have as few as five calcifications and as many as hundreds. Mammograms do not accurately distinguish between noncancerous (benign) and ca
