Which abnormality is often identified through mammography and is not cancerous by itself?

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Identifying abnormalities through mammography is essential for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Calcifications are often detected in breast tissue during mammographic imaging and are common findings. They appear as small white spots or flecks and can occur in various forms.

Calcifications can be classified into two primary types: macrocalcifications and microcalcifications. Macrocalcifications are typically larger, tend to be benign, and are often associated with aging or benign breast conditions. Microcalcifications, on the other hand, are smaller and can sometimes be suggestive of changes that require further evaluation, but they aren't cancer by themselves. The presence of calcifications alone does not indicate cancer and often warrants monitoring or additional imaging for clarification.

Other options listed are associated with different implications. PASH (pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia) may be benign but carries different clinical relevance compared to calcifications. Angiosarcoma is a type of cancer, and atypical ductal hyperplasia is a condition that alters breast tissue and carries an increased risk for developing breast cancer in the future. Therefore, among the listed options, calcifications are the abnormality commonly found on mammography that is indeed non-cancerous by themselves.

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