Test guide
Calcitonin Test
A calcitonin test uses a sample of your blood to measure your levels of calcitonin, a hormone made in your thyroid gland by cells called “C cells.” Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, and C cells grow on the inside part of your thyroid (the medulla).
What it is for
A calcitonin test is most often used to: There are different types of MEN 2 that often cause tumors in certain glands that make hormones, including your thyroid. All types of MEN 2 increase your risk of medullary thyroid cancer. MEN 2 is caused by changes in a gene called RET . Changes in genes are also called gene variants or mutations . Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Medical test information is public domain. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-18. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Limitations
Reference intervals and interpretation depend on the laboratory, specimen, method and clinical context. This source definition is educational information; it does not establish a diagnosis, product approval or suitability for an individual.
Also known as
- thyrocalcitonin, CT, human calcitonin, hCT
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