Myeloma causes and risk factors

There are certain things that can increase the chance of developing myeloma. These are called risk factors. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get cancer. And not having risk factors does not mean you will not develop it.

In the UK, around 5,800 people are diagnosed with myeloma each year. Doctors do not know what causes myeloma, but having MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance) increases the risk of developing it. MGUS is a non-cancerous condition where the body makes an abnormal protein, called a paraprotein.

Almost everyone with myeloma has had MGUS first, but it may not be detected. But only a small number of people who have MGUS develop myeloma.

Like other cancers, myeloma is not infectious and cannot be passed on to other people.

If you are worried about myeloma and would like to talk to someone, we're here. You can:

Age

Myeloma is more common in people over the age of 65. It is very rare in people under the age of 40.

Race

Myeloma is more than twice as common in black people than in white people.

Sex

Myeloma is slightly more common in men than in women.

Family history

People who have a close family member (such as a parent, brother or sister) with myeloma may have a very small increase in their risk of developing it. If you are worried about this, your doctor can explain what the risk might be.

Immune system conditions

Some health conditions can weaken the immune system, or cause the immune system to attack healthy cells in the body by mistake (autoimmune disease). These types of conditions may slightly increase the risk of developing myeloma.

Being overweight

Some research suggests that being overweight may increase the risk of developing myeloma. Keeping to a healthy body weight may reduce the risk of myeloma and other cancers.

About our information

  • References

  • Reviewers

The language we use

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

  • use plain English
  • explain medical words
  • use short sentences
  • use illustrations to explain text
  • structure the information clearly
  • make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.

Date reviewed

Reviewed: 01 September 2021
|
Next review: 01 September 2024

This content is currently being reviewed. New information will be coming soon.

Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.

This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.