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Myeloma

Risk of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS): a population-based study of 17 315 patients

Leukemia volume 27, pages 1391–1393 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an increased risk of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in persons with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). We used a large population-based cohort of individuals systematically screened for the presence or absence of MGUS. MGUS status was then linked to the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and MDS. A total of 17 315 patients age 50 and older (605 MGUS and 16 710 controls) with a cumulative 435 021 person-years of follow-up were studied. MGUS patients had a significantly higher risk of developing MDS compared with controls, hazard ratio 2.4 (95% CI 1.08, 5.32), P=0.031. There was no statistically significant increase in the risk of AML (RR 1.36 P=0.675), and no increased risk of developing ALL.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (CA107476, CA168762, CA100707, CA 83724). Also supported in part by the Jabbs Foundation, Birmingham, United Kingdom and the Henry J. Predolin Foundation, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    L E Roeker

  2. Division of Biostatistics, Rochester, MN, USA

    D R Larson

  3. Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    R A Kyle, S Kumar, A Dispenzieri & S V Rajkumar

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  1. L E Roeker
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  2. D R Larson
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  3. R A Kyle
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  4. S Kumar
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  5. A Dispenzieri
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  6. S V Rajkumar
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Correspondence to S V Rajkumar.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Author contributions

LER, RAK and SVR designed the research, wrote and edited the manuscript. DRL analyzed the data. SK and AD participated in data interpretation, reviewed the manuscript and provided critical comments. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

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Roeker, L., Larson, D., Kyle, R. et al. Risk of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS): a population-based study of 17 315 patients. Leukemia 27, 1391–1393 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2013.34

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