The Frequency of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Unknown Significance in Black and Caucasian Veterans in a Hospital Population

Abstract

In the United States, for unknown reasons multiple myeloma occurs more frequently in Blacks than Caucasians (Blattner, 1980). To determine whether there is a similar increase of benign paraproteinemia or monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS) (Kyle, 1982) in Blacks, we initiated a screening program at the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Schechter et al, 1986). This study has been extended to include 2721 patients.