What is a calcitonin test?
This test measures the level of calcitonin in your blood. Calcitonin is a hormone made by your thyroid, a small, butterfly-shaped gland located near the throat. Calcitonin helps control how the body uses calcium. Calcitonin is a type of tumor marker. Tumor markers are substances made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer in the body.
If too much calcitonin is found in the blood, it may be a sign of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). High levels may also be a sign of other thyroid diseases that can put you at a higher risk for getting MTC. These include:
C-cell hyperplasia, a condition that causes abnormal growth of cells in the thyroid
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2), a rare, inherited disease that causes the growth of tumors in the thyroid and other glands in the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a group of glands that control a variety of important functions, including how your body uses and burns energy (metabolism).
Other names: thyrocalcitonin, CT, human calcitonin, hCT
