Breast Calcification

Screening for breast cancer is now an accepted part of healthcare practice in many parts of the world. However, the advent of mass screening has brought with it the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis. Breast calcifications in particular are commonly misinterpreted, and definitive diagnosis of whether such calcifications represent benign or malignant conditions is extremely difficult, as the calcifications can easily be missed, or their shape (which is critical in diagnosis) misinterpreted. This book aims to provide a practical understanding to the diagnosis and treatment of breast calcification and will be essential reading for all members of the breast screening team, including pathologists, radiologists and surgeons. The multidisciplinary group of authors first cover in detail the main main pathologies that present with calcification, and go on to describe the techniques of fine needle aspiration and core biopsy and large bore biopsy sampling of tissue, reporting procedures, radiological management of calcification and clinical aspects of the diagnosis of breast calcification. The second part of the book looks at some of the most recently adopted methodologies for diagnosis such as high frequency ultrasound, computer aided diagnosis and the roles of MRI and synchrotron radiation.