Epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention strategies of multiple myeloma cancer: a systematic review
Main Article Content
Abstract
Multiple myeloma is a disease arising from the proliferation of plasma cells, accounting for 1-2% of malignant neoplasms in the United States. Multiple myeloma is considered to be an incurable disease. With advancements in treatment, patients" survival rates have improved over time. The objective of this study was to carry out a review of epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention strategies for multiple myeloma. The review shows for example that multiple myeloma is more common in men than in women and more frequent among individuals of African descent compared to other racial groups. The disease mostly affects people aged 60 years and above. The risk factors include age, gender, genetic makeup, and occupation that exposes workers to certain chemicals such as benzene and pesticides. People who are overweight or obese and those with a history of other plasma cell disorders also have a higher chance of developing the disease. Family history of multiple myeloma or other blood cancers is another major risk factor. Prevention of multiple myeloma remains a challenge because many of the risk factors, such as age and genetics, cannot be changed. However, there are still important steps that can be taken to reduce the overall risk. These include avoiding exposure to harmful chemicals in work environment or workplace, eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding smoking. Early screening among high-risk populations may also help in detecting the disease in its early stages when treatment is more likely to be successful. In conclusion, multiple myeloma remains a growing public health concern due to its increasing prevalence and the difficulty in preventing it completely. More research is still needed to fully understand the causes of the disease and to develop better prevention and early detection strategies. Public health education and awareness campaigns can also play a key role in reducing the burden of this disease in communities around the world.
Keywords:
Multiple myeloma, cancer, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention strategies
Article Details
How to Cite
LAWANSON, Michael O. et al.
Epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention strategies of multiple myeloma cancer: a systematic review.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 13, n. 12, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/7088>. Date accessed: 02 jan. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i12.7088.
Section
Review Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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22. Alexander, D.D, Mink, P.J, Adami, H.O, et al. (2007). Multiple myeloma: a review of the epidemiologic literature. Int J Cancer 2007; 120(suppl 12):40-61.
23. Marinac, C. R., Ghobrial, I. M., Birmann, B. M., Soiffer, J., & Rebbeck, T. R. (2020). Dissecting racial disparities in multiple myeloma. Blood Cancer Journal, 10(2), 19.
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26. Kazandjian, D. (2016). Multiple myeloma epidemiology and survival: A unique malignancy. Seminars in Oncology, 43(6), 676–681. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminoncol.2016.11.004
27. American Cancer Society. (2018, February 28). Www.cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/multiple-myeloma/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html
28. Lawanson, M.O., Griffin, E., Berleant, D., Farmer, P., Hodge, R., Schinke, C., Ashby, C., & Bauer, M.A. (2025). How Does Age at Diagnosis Influence Multiple Myeloma Survival? Empirical Evidence. Healthcare, 13(20), 2637. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13202637
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31. Kyle, R.A, Gertz, M.A., Witzig, T.E., et al. (2003). Review of 1 027 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Mayo Clin Proc, 78(1):21-33. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.4065/78.1.21 .
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