Risk factors for different types of cancer are those traits that increase the likelihood that an individual will develop disease. Risk factors include certain kinds of behavior such as cigarette smoking for lung cancer, inherited (genetic) traits, and exposure to cancer-causing agents in the environment. The few known risk factors for multiple myeloma are outlined below. In most cases, though, there are no known risk factors for multiple myeloma.
Several studies have pointed to links between multiple myeloma and environmental exposure to certain kinds of chemicals. Slightly higher rates of multiple myeloma are found among agricultural workers (who are exposed to pesticides and fertilizers), petrochemical and sheet metal workers, and those exposed on the job to wood dust. In rare cases, multiple myeloma or MGUS can affect more than one person in a family. There is no reliable evidence that bacterial or viral infections cause myeloma.
