What Really Causes Multiple Myeloma? What Doctors Know So Far in 60 Seconds (https://www.myeloma.org/videos/really-causes-multiple-myeloma-doctors-know-so-far-60-seconds)
What Really Causes Multiple Myeloma? What Doctors Know So Far in 60 Seconds
Why do some people develop multiple myeloma while others don’t?
In this 60-second video, Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, breaks down the top risk factors for multiple myeloma—including race, obesity, and environmental exposures like Agent Orange.
While the exact cause remains unknown in most cases, some groups—such as Black/African American individuals and those with high BMI—face higher risks. Dr. Mikhael explains what science currently understands and why more research and screening may help change the future of this disease.
Learn more about myeloma risk factors, symptoms, and treatment at: myeloma.org
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What are risk factors for multiple myeloma? Hi, everyone, Doctor Joseph Mikhael here, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, and I am going to break down the risk factors for multiple myeloma in less than a minute.
It's very important to realize that in the vast majority of cases of multiple myeloma, we really don't know what causes it.
In a very few select cases, we know that certain exposures are connected to multiple myeloma, like our veterans who’ve been exposed to Agent Orange, or our first responders who’ve been exposed to repeated fires and other chemicals. But for most patients, we really don't know the cause.
That being said, we do know that there are some risk factors associated with myeloma.
Most importantly, those of us of African descent are at twice the risk, and indeed, obesity is connected to multiple myeloma, although we don't fully understand all of the mechanisms. Someday, we might be screening for multiple myeloma so we can understand and capture this better, but for now, these are the key factors that we know are associated with multiple myeloma.
For more information, or if you have a personal question about your own diagnosis or a loved one’s, please visit us at myeloma.org.
Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, FASCO
International Myeloma Foundation Medical Advisor
TGen, City of Hope Cancer Center—Phoenix, AZ, USA
Dr Mikhael is a Professor in the Clinical Genomics and Therapeutics Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope Cancer Center. He is also the Director of Myeloma research at the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr Mikhael specializes clinically in plasma cell disorders, namely multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. He is the PI of many clinical trials, primarily in relapsed multiple myeloma, and his other clinical research interests include pharmaco-economics, communication skills, and media relations.
Dr. Mikhael recently served as the Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) from 2018 to 2026 – he now serves as Medical Advisor to the IMF to provide guidance and strategic input in areas such as patient education, health disparities, collaboration with partners, international research, and publications.
Dr Mikhael has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in these fields and lectures internationally on a regular basis. Dr. Mikhael is deeply committed to health disparities in myeloma and is the chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at TGen. Dr. Mikhael is heavily involved in training future researchers and mentors junior faculty worldwide. Dr. Mikhael is an active member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) and recently led the ASCO guidelines in myeloma. Dr. Mikhael also serves as the Treasurer on the executive of the American Society of Hematology.
Dr. Mikhael did his medical training in Canada, including a fellowship in Multiple Myeloma at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. He also obtained his master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto. He then worked at the Mayo Clinic Arizona as a Hematologist from 2008-2018.