- Lancet. 2009 Jul 25;374(9686):324-39. Epub 2009 Jun 21. Multiple myeloma., Raab MS, Podar K, Breitkreutz I, Richardson PG, Anderson KC, LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Risk Factors
Risk factors pre-disposes a person to an increased chance of developing a disease. Some of the risk factors of MM include-
- Age- It is uncommon for those below 40 to be diagnosed with MM. Most of those diagnosed are 65 years of age and above. Therefore age is believed to increase a person’s chances of developing Multiple Myeloma.
- A history of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS- a condition in which defunct plasma cells generate low levels of M proteins) puts a person at an increased risk to develop certain cancers, including multiple myeloma.
- Race- It appears as if race has a role to play in a person’s predisposition to develop Multiple Myeloma. The African Americans are the most affected, comparatively, while the Asian Americans are the least affected.
Other proposed risk factors such as radiation, pesticides, viruses, obesity, diet and hair dye are under the scanner.
