This content has been reviewed and approved by
Kenneth C. Anderson, MD
Chief, Division of Hematologic Neoplasia
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
The exact cause of multiple myeloma is not known, but researchers have been able to identify some risk factors associated with it. A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease.
Risk Factors for Multiple Myeloma
The following are some of the main risk factors for multiple myeloma:
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Age - Age is the most important risk factor. Most people develop the disease after age 40, and about half of cases occur after age 70.
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Gender - Men are more likely to get multiple myeloma than women.
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Race - African Americans are more likely to develop this cancer than people from other ethnic backgrounds. Researchers are not sure why.
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Family history of the disease - Although multiple myeloma appears to be more common in some families, most patients have no other relatives with the disease.
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Exposure to certain substances - Some studies suggest that workers in some oil-related industries may be at a higher risk for multiple myeloma. Others have theorized that high radiation exposure may be a risk factor as well.
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A history of MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) - MGUS is a condition in which low levels of the M proteins made by myeloma cells can be found in the blood. This is not a form of cancer, but it increases your risk of eventually developing multiple myeloma.
Researchers are studying other possible risk factors for multiple myeloma. These include exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and hair dye. Diet, obesity (being excessively overweight), and certain viruses are under investigation as well.
Most people who have the risk factors listed above will never develop multiple myeloma. And most people who get this disease have no known risk factors. There is much more work to be done before we can understand why some people develop multiple myeloma and others do not.