Calcitonin

ChemistryAlso known as: ThyrocalcitoninAlso known as: CTAlso known as: Calcitonin (hormone)pmol/L

Measures calcitonin, a thyroid hormone regulating calcium metabolism and bone health.

Normal Range

11.5 pmol/L

pmol/L

Abnormal Levels

Consult your provider

Specimen Type

Blood

Why This Biomarker Matters

Elevated calcitonin, particularly high levels, suggests medullary thyroid cancer. Regular monitoring helps detect thyroid malignancy early, enabling timely treatment and improving outcomes.

Understanding Your Results

Normal Range

11.5 pmol/L

Overview

Calcitonin is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism by promoting calcium excretion and bone formation. Blood calcitonin levels are primarily used to screen for and monitor medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a rare thyroid cancer where calcitonin is markedly elevated. The test is also useful in assessing bone metabolism and osteoporosis risk. Elevated calcitonin, especially when very high, warrants investigation for thyroid cancer or other malignancies. Baseline calcitonin testing is recommended for people with family history of thyroid cancer or hereditary cancer syndromes.

Research & Evidence

95 publications

Sort:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for osteoporosis: A systematic review of preclinical evidence and mechanisms.

Bone · 2026

PMID: 41483655Review

Molecular triggers of migraine aura: A systematic review of human pharmacological provocation studies.

Cephalalgia · 2026

PMID: 41923467

Neural biomarkers in pulpitis and their associations with inflammation and pain perception: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMC Oral Health · 2026

PMID: 42056954

Efficacy and effectiveness of anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies treatment in the prevention of cluster headache attacks: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cephalalgia · 2026

PMID: 41961550

Efficacy and safety of rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine in Black or African American adults: A post hoc pooled subgroup analysis from three randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Headache · 2026

PMID: 41652666

A pilot, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of rimegepant on visceral sensation and symptoms in nonconstipation IBS pain.

Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol · 2026

PMID: 41637861

Eptinezumab With Patient Education for Chronic Migraine and Medication-Overuse Headache: The Randomized, Placebo-Controlled RESOLUTION Trial.

Neurology · 2026

PMID: 41886713

[Clinical efficacy of abdominal acupuncture therapy combined with transcranial direct current stimulation on post-stroke depression and the influence on the levels of autophagy-related proteins].

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu · 2026

PMID: 41987434

Diagnostic value of calcitonin for lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in medullary thyroid carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Front Oncol · 2026

PMID: 42003975

Revisiting Intranasal Salmon Calcitonin: Historical Osteoporosis Evidence and a Potential Role in Acute Orthopaedic Pain Management.

JBJS Rev · 2026

PMID: 41945663

Research data from MEDLINE/PubMed · 95 articles

Technical Information (LOINC Codes)

Standardized laboratory codes for this biomarker

1992-7Primary

Calcitonin [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma

ng/L

15035-9

Calcitonin [Moles/volume] in Serum or Plasma

pmol/L

47369-4

Calcitonin [Mass/volume] in Body fluid

pg/mL

75709-6

Calcitonin [Mass/volume] in Lymph node fine needle aspirate

pg/mL

Available Lab Tests

Order tests that measure this biomarker

Calcitonin Test