Ailments & ConditionsYour Health

Multiple Myeloma – Causes & Risk Factors

Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer in the plasma cells, which are white blood cells around bone marrow. Since these substances are important for the production of antibodies that fight against infections and diseases, the condition would lead to many other health issues. Multiple myeloma happens when an abnormal plasma cell grows and reproduces rapidly in the bone marrow. This leads to the accumulation of cancerous cells that crowd out other healthy red and white blood cells. Below are some major causes and risk factors that everyone should know.

Genetic Abnormalities

Genetic abnormalities or mutations are one of the main causes of multiple myeloma. Those are defects or changes in the DNA located inside your body cells. Since the DNA contains a lot of instructional codes that determine the performance, growth, and division of your cells, any abnormal activities would lead to cancerous plasma cells. The mutations would happen after birth due to many factors, both internal and external. A common genetic mistake is the missing of chromosome 13. In fact, nearly half of the reported cases experience a deficiency of this part. The exact mechanism is still unclear and more research is needed to show the association between these genetic changes. [1]