{"id":51487,"date":"2025-04-25T21:51:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T01:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:58:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:58:53","slug":"monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus","status":"publish","type":"mayo","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/","title":{"rendered":"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"container mx-auto   wordpress-block wordpress- core-\">\n<p>Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, also called MGUS, is a condition caused by the development of altered plasma cells. A plasma cell is a type of white blood cell that usually produces disease-fighting antibodies.<\/p>\n<p>In MGUS, plasma cells in bone marrow produce antibodies called monoclonal proteins that circulate in the blood. These antibodies also may be called M proteins, myeloma proteins or paraproteins.<\/p>\n<p>MGUS is not itself a disease, but having MGUS increases the risk of developing cancer of the plasma cells and related conditions.<\/p>\n<p>There is no treatment for MGUS. With regular checkups, a healthcare team monitors for changes in M protein levels, increases in altered plasma cells, and signs of cancer or other diseases.<\/p>\n<p>People with MGUS usually don&#8217;t have symptoms. Most often, the condition is found with blood tests done for regular checkups or for diagnosing another condition.<\/p>\n<p>Experts don&#8217;t know what causes MGUS. Genes within plasma cells may change because of a number of factors.<\/p>\n<p>Factors that increase your risk of developing MGUS include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Age.<\/strong> Most people with MGUS are 70 or older.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Race.<\/strong> Black people and people of African descent have a higher risk of MGUS than do other people. People of Asian descent appear to have a lower risk than do others.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sex assigned at birth.<\/strong> MGUS is more common in men.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Family history.<\/strong> A family history of MGUS is an increased risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Immune system risks.<\/strong> Having a weakened immune system is linked to an increased risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chemical exposure.<\/strong> Exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace or environment &mdash; such as pesticides, asbestos and fertilizers &mdash; may increase the risk of MGUS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other factors.<\/strong> Risk factors that may be lessened with lifestyle changes include cigarette smoking and obesity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each year, about 1% of people with MGUS develop cancer of the plasma cells or related conditions. These include the following: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Multiple myeloma<\/strong> is cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. This results in poor blood cell production, weakened bones and bone pain.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia<\/strong> is a cancer of the plasma cells that produces excessive M proteins. This may cause thickened blood, bleeding, frequent infections, and an enlarged liver and spleen.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lymphomas<\/strong> are cancers that begin in a part of the immune system called the lymph system. Excessive white blood cell production can affect multiple body systems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Light chain amyloidosis<\/strong> is the buildup of proteins derived from M proteins. These amyloid proteins often build up in the heart, kidneys and nerve cells outside the brain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Monoclonal gammopathies of clinical significance<\/h3>\n<p>M proteins may cause disease in tissues and change how organs function. If this type of M protein&ndash;related condition develops, it&#8217;s called monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance. Affected areas of the body may include the:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Kidneys.<\/li>\n<li>Nervous system.<\/li>\n<li>Eyes.<\/li>\n<li>Skin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Other complications<\/h3>\n<p>Other complications include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Osteoporosis.<\/strong> People with MGUS have an increased risk of osteoporosis. This condition is the loss of bone tissue. It makes bones fragile and likely to break.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk of infections.<\/strong> MGUS increases the risk of viral and bacterial infections, especially infections of the nose, throat and lungs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thromboembolism.<\/strong> MGUS also increases the risk of blood clots that circulate in the bloodstream and can block the flow of blood to tissues. This blockage is called a thromboembolism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>MGUS is usually discovered with blood tests done for other conditions or for regular checkups. When M proteins are found, you have more tests to better understand the condition and to see if there are signs of cancer or other organ damage. These tests include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Blood tests.<\/strong> Laboratory tests of blood samples tell your healthcare team more about the M proteins in your body and can show signs of organ damage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Urine tests.<\/strong> Urine samples taken over 24 hours can help show M proteins and signs of kidney damage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Imaging tests.<\/strong> You may have imaging tests of the whole body to rule out damage to the bone or changes in the bone marrow.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bone marrow test.<\/strong> A hollow needle removes a piece of bone marrow from the back of one of the hip bones for study. This test usually is only for those at risk of more-serious disease.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bone density test.<\/strong> You may have an X-ray test to measure the density of bone and detect signs of osteoporosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>MGUS doesn&#8217;t require treatment. Your care team schedules regular checkups to repeat blood and urine tests to find any increases in M proteins. You may have additional tests if a change in M proteins suggests an increased risk of cancer or other diseases.<\/p>\n<h3>Watchful waiting<\/h3>\n<p>You&#8217;ll likely have a first follow-up exam within 3 to 6 months after a diagnosis of MGUS. Your healthcare team determines how often to repeat exams depending on the risk of MGUS leading to cancer or other diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Talk with your healthcare professional if you have new symptoms. Symptoms to watch for include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bone pain.<\/li>\n<li>Tiredness or weakness.<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss without trying.<\/li>\n<li>Fever with no apparent cause.<\/li>\n<li>Frequent infections.<\/li>\n<li>Tingling or numbness in legs or arms.<\/li>\n<li>Easy bruising or bleeding.<\/li>\n<li>Trouble breathing.<\/li>\n<li>Confusion or trouble thinking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Medicines<\/h3>\n<p>If you develop osteoporosis, you may be prescribed a medicine called a bisphosphonate to slow the loss of bone tissue. Examples include alendronate (Binosto, Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel, Atelvia), zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) and ibandronate.<\/p>\n<p>Your healthcare professional may refer you to a doctor who specializes in blood conditions, called a hematologist.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s information to help you get ready for your appointment.<\/p>\n<h3>What you can do<\/h3>\n<p>Ask a family member or friend to go with you. Someone who&#8217;s with you can help you remember the information you get.<\/p>\n<p>Make a list of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Your symptoms and when they began.<\/strong> Include symptoms that don&#8217;t seem linked to the reason you made the appointment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key information,<\/strong> including other illnesses you or people in your family have had.<\/li>\n<li><strong>All medicines<\/strong>, vitamins and supplements you take, including doses and the reasons for taking them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Questions to ask<\/strong> your healthcare professional.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For MGUS, basic questions to ask your health professional include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What tests do I need?<\/li>\n<li>Do I need to do something to get ready for tests?<\/li>\n<li>How often do I need to come back?<\/li>\n<li>Should I start treatment or change my lifestyle?<\/li>\n<li>I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be sure to ask all the questions you have.<\/p>\n<h3>What to expect from your doctor<\/h3>\n<p>Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do your hands or feet tingle or feel numb?<\/li>\n<li>Have you had broken bones?<\/li>\n<li>Have you had a diagnosis of osteoporosis?<\/li>\n<li>Has someone in your family had MGUS or cancer of the blood?<\/li>\n<li>Have you ever had a blood clot?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A condition of blood plasma that produces altered antibodies that increase the risk of blood cancers and other conditions.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[1686,1685,1682,1684],"class_list":["post-51487","mayo","type-mayo","status-publish","hentry","tag-anatomical-structure","tag-condition","tag-person-group-concept","tag-theme-of-focus","content_type-diseases-conditions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A condition of blood plasma that produces altered antibodies that increase the risk of blood cancers and other conditions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hancock Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T16:58:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5\u00a0Minuten\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\\\/\",\"name\":\"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-26T01:51:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-04T16:58:53+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mayo Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hancock Health\",\"description\":\"Explore a health network built around you.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"de\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/","og_locale":"de_DE","og_type":"article","og_title":"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health","og_description":"A condition of blood plasma that produces altered antibodies that increase the risk of blood cancers and other conditions.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/","og_site_name":"Hancock Health","article_modified_time":"2026-02-04T16:58:53+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit":"5\u00a0Minuten"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/","name":"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) - Hancock Health","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-04-26T01:51:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-04T16:58:53+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"de","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-mgus\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mayo Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/","name":"Hancock Gesundheit","description":"Explore a health network built around you.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"de"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mayo\/51487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mayo"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/mayo"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}