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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
Interphase Fluorescence in situ Hybridization of Bone Marrow Smears of Multiple Myeloma
Published on: April 15, 2022
Initial report of a family registry of multiple myeloma
Elizabeth Ann Coleman1, Henry Lynch, Carol Enderlin
1University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. colemanann@uams.edu
Abstract:
About 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) each year, and more than 10,000 die of MM in the United States annually. The etiology of MM remains unknown, although genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. Patients (n = 68) from the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and their family members with MM or a related malignancy were interviewed for environmental factors associated with MM and for family history data to complete pedigrees. In collaboration with Dr Henry Lynch at Creighton University, pedigrees of at least 3 generations were analyzed. Eighteen families (27%) have a putative autosomal dominant mode of genetic transmission of MM. Furthermore, the pedigrees indicate that pancreatic cancer, malignant melanoma, breast cancer, and lymphoma may be part of a myeloma syndrome. Environmental factors associated with MM present in this patient population were being born and raised in a rural area, raising cattle or cotton, and exposure to pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides. This work will be part of the efforts to create an international consortium to study familial MM. Research in the area of molecular epidemiology is needed to discover the genetic and environmental determinants of this disease.
Insights
Multiple myeloma (MM) may have an inherited component, with 27% of families showing dominant transmission. Rural living and pesticide exposure are potential environmental risk factors for this blood cancer.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosis rates are high in the US, with unknown causes.
- Genetic and environmental factors are suspected contributors to MM etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential genetic and environmental factors in multiple myeloma.
- To analyze family history data and identify risk factors associated with MM.
Main Methods:
- Interviewed 68 patients with MM and their families for environmental and family history data.
- Constructed and analyzed multi-generational pedigrees in collaboration with Creighton University.
- Examined associations between MM and other cancers within families.
Main Results:
- Identified a potential autosomal dominant inheritance pattern in 27% of studied families.
- Linked rural upbringing, cattle or cotton farming, and pesticide/insecticide/herbicide exposure to MM.
- Suggested a potential 'myeloma syndrome' including pancreatic cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, and lymphoma.
Conclusions:
- Familial clustering and specific environmental exposures may contribute to multiple myeloma development.
- Further molecular epidemiology research is crucial to identify genetic and environmental determinants of MM.
- This study supports efforts to establish an international consortium for familial MM research.
