This test gauges the degree of calcitonin in your blood. 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. It might be a sign of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer if too much calcitonin is found in the blood. High degrees may also be a sign of other thyroid diseases that can put you at a higher risk for getting MTC. Other names: thyrocalcitonin, CT, human calcitonin, hCT A calcitonin test is usually used to: Help diagnose C-cell hyperplasia and medullary thyroid cancer; Find out if treatment for medullary thyroid cancer is working; Find out if medullary thyroid cancer has returned after therapy; Screen people with a family background of several endocrine neoplasia type 2. A family history of this disease can put you at a higher risk for developing medullary thyroid cancer.
* Please keep in mind that all text is summarized by machine, we do not bear any responsibility, and you should always check original source before taking any actions
** If you believe that content on the Plex is summarised improperly, please, contact us, and we will get rid of it quickly; please, send an email with a brief explanation.
Plex Page is a Biology & Health Sciences "Online Knowledge Base," where a machine summarizes all the summaries.