What is the MTC?
Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
A rare type of thyroid cancer that starts in the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. MTC is different from other types of thyroid cancer because it produces calcitonin, a hormone that controls calcium levels in the blood. Symptoms include a lump in the neck, hoarseness, and difficulty breathing. MTC can run in families, and is sometimes linked to other endocrine tumors. A person born with MEN2b is born with MTC so it is crucial the thyroid gland is removed right away upon diagnosis.
Then what is Calcitonin?
Calcitonin is a hormone that helps regulate calcium levels in the blood.
What it does:
Calcitonin is produced by the C cells in the thyroid gland and lowers calcium levels when they are too high. It acts in opposition to parathyroid hormone, which increases calcium levels.
Testing
A calcitonin test measures the level of calcitonin in the blood. It can be used to help diagnose or monitor conditions like medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or C-cell hyperplasia, which are rare conditions that cause abnormal growth of C cells in the thyroid.