MGUS

Meaning of MGUS: MGUS is a generally symptomless blood finding that carries a modest, ongoing risk of eventually progressing to multiple myeloma or a related condition.

Definition of MGUS

MGUS, short for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, is a condition in which a higher than normal level of a single, identical antibody protein, sometimes called M protein or paraprotein, is found circulating in the blood. It is produced by a small population of abnormal, but not cancerous, plasma cells in the bone marrow.

MGUS itself is considered benign and typically causes no symptoms, most often being discovered incidentally through blood testing performed for an unrelated reason. It does not meet the diagnostic criteria for multiple myeloma or a related blood cancer, and most people with MGUS never develop one of these conditions.

Because a portion of people with MGUS do eventually go on to develop multiple myeloma or a related lymphoproliferative disorder over time, MGUS is generally monitored with periodic blood testing rather than treated directly, an approach aimed at detecting any progression toward a condition that would require treatment.