An interesting byproduct of screening: assessing the effect of HRT on arterial calcification in the female breast.

Arterial calcification in the female breast (BAC) is a common but unreported finding on breast screening mammograms. Accumulating evidence suggests that BAC may have importance as a marker for generalised vascular disease. In this study, we have assessed the influence of HRT usage on the prevalence of BAC in 4400 women undergoing mammography for breast cancer screening. Significantly increased levels of breast arterial calcification were observed in women who had never used HRT compared with a group of women presently using HRT.