Breast clips are commonly made of which material, and do they trigger airport security alarms?

• A. Titanium; no (do not trigger alarms)
• B. Stainless steel; yes (trigger alarms)
• C. Aluminum; yes (trigger alarms)
• D. Plastic; no (do not trigger alarms)

Answer: (A)

Breast clips are designed to mark a lesion in a way that's visible on imaging, safe for the patient, and doesn’t interfere with future scans. Titanium fits that need well: it’s biocompatible, highly resistant to corrosion, and has very low magnetic susceptibility, so it shows up on radiographs or mammography with minimal image distortion and is generally MRI-compatible. Because it’s non-ferromagnetic and small, it’s unlikely to set off airport security alarms or cause strong interactions with security detectors.

Stainless steel can be more prone to magnetic interference and can create imaging artifacts, which is less ideal for precise localization. Aluminum, while lightweight, may not provide the same reliable radiopacity or long-term durability. Plastic clips would not be visible on X-ray or mammography, defeating their purpose.