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Early-Life Exposures and Risk of Multiple Myeloma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Australia
Zhuoyu Sun1, Julie K Bassett2,3, Simon Cheah2,3
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
International Journal of Cancer
|May 14, 2026
Summary
Early-life environmental exposures like having many siblings, sharing a bedroom, and pet ownership may reduce multiple myeloma (MM) risk. These factors may stimulate the immune system, potentially lowering cancer susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Hematologic Malignancies
- Cancer Epidemiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Multiple myeloma (MM) is a blood cancer with limited known modifiable risk factors.
- Early-life environmental exposures can shape immune system development and influence long-term cancer risk.
- Investigating early-life factors is crucial for understanding MM pathogenesis and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between early-life environmental exposures and the risk of developing multiple myeloma.
- To test the hypothesis that immune stimulation in early life may protect against MM.
Main Methods:
- Population- and family-based case-control study including 782 MM cases and 1121 controls.
- Self-reported data on early-life exposures: maternal smoking, breastfeeding, household size, bedroom sharing, and pet ownership.
- Multivariable logistic regression with multiple imputation for missing data, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Living in a large household (≥5 children) was associated with reduced MM risk (OR=0.57).
- Sharing a bedroom before age 11 and early childhood pet ownership also showed inverse associations with MM risk (OR=0.80 and OR=0.76, respectively).
- No significant associations were found for maternal smoking, breastfeeding, or childhood growth patterns.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that early-life environmental exposures, potentially through immune stimulation, may play a role in reducing multiple myeloma risk.
- Household size, shared sleeping arrangements, and pet ownership are identified as potentially protective factors.
- Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying biological mechanisms for MM prevention.
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