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'lizbeth · 11-24-2013, 08:29 PM

From Susan G. Komen's website:

Calcifications and microcalcifications

Calcifications are bits of calcium that can show up on mammograms as small, bright white spots. Most calcifications are benign (not cancer). However, certain patterns of calcifications are suspicious and need more testing. Tight clusters or lines of tiny calcifications (microcalcifications) can be a sign of breast cancer.
Calcifications are common and appear on about half of all mammograms of women ages 50 and older (and on about one in 10 mammograms of younger women) [7]. They may be related to older age, past injury to the breast or inflammation (swelling) of the breast tissue (from an infection, for example) [7]. For breast cancer survivors, calcifications can also be related to past breast surgery and radiation therapy.
Non-invasive breast cancer - ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive breast cancer (learn more). On a mammogram, DCIS usually looks like a cluster of microcalcifications. It can be hard to know from a mammogram image whether the cluster is DCIS or invasive breast cancer.

11-24-2013, 08:29 PM	#11
'lizbeth Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 2,214	Re: mastectomy versus lumpectomy for HER2 From Susan G. Komen's website: Calcifications and microcalcifications Calcifications are bits of calcium that can show up on mammograms as small, bright white spots. Most calcifications are benign (not cancer). However, certain patterns of calcifications are suspicious and need more testing. Tight clusters or lines of tiny calcifications (microcalcifications) can be a sign of breast cancer. Calcifications are common and appear on about half of all mammograms of women ages 50 and older (and on about one in 10 mammograms of younger women) [7]. They may be related to older age, past injury to the breast or inflammation (swelling) of the breast tissue (from an infection, for example) [7]. For breast cancer survivors, calcifications can also be related to past breast surgery and radiation therapy. Non-invasive breast cancer - ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive breast cancer (learn more). On a mammogram, DCIS usually looks like a cluster of microcalcifications. It can be hard to know from a mammogram image whether the cluster is DCIS or invasive breast cancer.