Work

Disentangling age, gender, and racial/ethnic disparities in multiple myeloma burden: a modeling study

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that is consistently preceded by an asymptomatic condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Disparities by age, gender, and race/ethnicity in both MGUS and MM are well-established. However, it remains unclear whether these disparities can be explained by increased incidence of MGUS and/or accelerated progression from MGUS to MM. Here, we fit a mathematical model to nationally representative data from the United States and showed that the difference in MM incidence can be explained by an increased incidence of MGUS among male and non-Hispanic Black populations. We did not find evidence showing differences in the rate of progression from MGUS to MM by either gender or race/ethnicity. Our results suggest that screening for MGUS among high-risk groups (e.g., non-Hispanic Black men) may hold promise as a strategy to reduce the burden and MM health disparities.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41223-8

Authors: John H. Huber, Mengmeng Ji, Yi-Hsuan Shih, Mei Wang, Graham Colditz, Su-Hsin Chang

Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Language: English

Topic: Multiple Myeloma Research and Treatments

Subfield: Hematology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,290