DEAR DR. DONOHUE: In the past six months, I have had three mammograms. The findings are always the same — microcalcifications in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast.
No one has told me what microcalcifications in the breast are. I had a biopsy years ago, and it was revealed that the calcifications were benign. I have occasional sharp pains in that breast. I would appreciate your help. — J.C.
A: Microcalcifications are tiny specks of calcium. Calcifications don’t always sound the cancer alarm. The body patches up many things by plastering calcium over them. Past breast trauma — a bump that didn’t even register on your consciousness — might have led to calcifications in your breast. Calcium in minute breast blood vessels is another possibility. Benign breast growths can become calcified.
On the other hand, microcalcifications can be a warning sign of cancer. The doctors who interpret mammograms evaluate such calcium specks by their size, the pattern of their arrangement, their shape and their location in order to distinguish harmless calcifications from the harmful ones. Sometimes the call is difficult and no clearly positive statement can be made. In order not to make a tragic mistake, follow-up evaluations are needed to spot any changes. If doubt still exists, a biopsy might be able to resolve the question.
Did you have a mammogram at the time your biopsy was taken in the past? If you did, that mammogram would be most informative in interpreting your current mammograms.
Stick with the program. It’s better to err on the side of caution than to miss a serious condition.
Breast pain is not a common indication of cancer. I don’t know what your occasional sharp pain is, but it’s not likely to be a cancer sign.
c. North America Syndicate
