Which breast cancer type is commonly associated with calcifications on mammography?

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Calcifications on mammography are most strongly linked to the ductal process, specifically ductal carcinoma in situ. In DCIS, malignant cells fill and distend the breast ducts and often undergo central necrosis (comedo necrosis). The calcium salts from this necrosis deposit within the ducts, producing the microcalcifications that radiologists look for—often fine, pleomorphic, or branching patterns arranged in clusters. This distinct calcium pattern makes DCIS the cancer type most commonly associated with calcifications on mammography. Invasive ductal carcinoma can show calcifications, but the association is not as characteristic; lobular carcinoma often has few or subtle calcifications, and fibroadenoma is benign and not defined by this calcification pattern.