What are breast calcifications?

What are breast calcifications?

Breast calcifications are calcium deposits that commonly develop in breast tissue. They’re painless and too tiny to feel with your fingers, so you likely won’t know you have them unless they appear on a mammogram. A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray that detects atypical growths in breast tissue.

While calcifications are usually harmless, they can be an early sign of abnormal cells developing in your breast tissue. The size, shape and distribution of the calcifications may provide clues as to whether they’re a marker of a benign (noncancerous) condition or if more testing is needed to rule out malignancy (cancer).