Precursor of multiple myeloma more common in blacks than whites, Mayo study finds

Oct. 08, 2014

Overview

Blacks may be twice as likely as whites to develop multiple myeloma because they are also more likely to have a precursor condition known as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a Mayo Clinic study has found. Not only is MGUS more common in blacks, but the type seen in the black population is also more apt to have features associated with a higher risk of progression to full-blown multiple myeloma, a cancer of a type of white blood cell in bone marrow.