Health Canada looking at cancer risks of calcitonin

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Health Canada is informing Canadians that it is assessing the possibility of an increased risk of cancer with long-term use of the drug calcitonin. Patients who are taking a calcitonin medicine who have questions should speak to their health care professional before they consider stopping their calcitonin treatment. 

Calcitonin is a prescription drug available in Canada as a nasal spray used to treat osteoporosis (loss of calcium in bones) in postmenopausal women. It is also available as a solution for injection used to treat Paget's disease as well as severe hypercalcemia (high blood calcium). Paget's disease is a chronic condition that causes abnormal bone growth, while severe hypercalcemia is a medical emergency that can lead to, for example, kidney failure, heart problems and coma.

Read more on Health Canada’s website.