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Calcitonin
Definition A test that measures the amount of the hormone calcitonin in the blood.
Why is the Test Performed?
The health care provider may suggest a calcitonin test when he/she suspects medullary thyroid cancer. Calcitonin may also be elevated in other tumors such as insulinomas, VIPomas, and lung cancer.
Calcitonin is a hormone produced in the C cells of the thyroid gland. Its role in humans is unclear. In animals, calcitonin helps to regulate blood calcium by slowing down the amount of calcium released from the bones. Calcitonin works in opposition to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D.
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• Definition
• Why is the Test Performed?
• How is the Test Performed?
• How to Prepare for the Test?
• How will the Test Feel?
• Normal Values
• What do Abnormal Results Mean?
• Special Considerations
• Risks
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Medullary Carcinoma of Thyroid
• Thyroid Cancer
Tests & Exams
• Blood Pressure
• PTH
• Venipuncture
Other Topics
• Adolescent Test or Procedure Preparation
• Bleeding
• Fainting
• Infant Test/Procedure Preparation
• Preschooler Test/Procedure Preparation
• School Age Test/Procedure Preparation
• Toddler Test/Procedure Preparation
• Vitamin D
Review Date : 2/19/2002
Reviewed By : Stephanie Fish, M.D., Division of Endocrinology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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