Genetic Link Possible Cause of Multiple Myeloma

Newswise — In this month's Journal of Clinical Oncology, Henry T. Lynch, M.D., hereditary cancer expert, professor of medicine and chairman of preventive medicine at Creighton University Medical Center, calls for further study of a positive genetic link for multiple myeloma and related disorders.

Multiple myeloma is a rare form of cancer exhibited by excessive production of plasma cells in bone marrow. Plasma cells may mass together to form tumors. Multiple myeloma can also be described as multiple tumors.

Dr. Lynch and researchers at eight sites in France, Canada, and the U.S., including colleagues at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, studied 39 families with multiple cases of multiple myeloma and found a possible genetic correlation. In addition, in families with multiple myeloma over several generations, the onset of disease occurred at younger ages in successive generations.

Dr. Lynch recommends further study of familial multiple myeloma. "I propose an international consortium to study familial multiple myeloma, which may provide insights into the causes, control and ultimately the prevention of multiple myeloma and related diseases," said Dr. Lynch.

Research was supported by revenue from Nebraska cigarette taxes awarded to Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Creighton physicians/researchers are significant contributors to national healthcare and educational advancements in the areas of cancer, bacterial resistance, hearing loss, and the conditions that affect bone growth and loss. In the Jesuit Catholic tradition of caring for the whole person - mind, body and spirit - Creighton University Medical Center, for more than a century, has served as a vital source of health care and education in Omaha and the Great Plains.