Prevalence, management and burden of mastocytosis from the physician’s
perspective: A nationwide study
Abstract
Background: Mastocytosis is characterized by the accumulation
of abnormal mast cells in various organs. Data on the prevalence of
mastocytosis are heterogeneous, with the condition’s prevalence
estimated to be between 9.6 and 23.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. Patients
may present signs and symptoms that can severely impact quality of life
(QoL), but reported data are scarce. Thus, we performed a nationwide
study to estimate the prevalence and to assess the management and burden
of adults with mastocytosis in France according to physician
assessments. Methods: We developed an online survey comprising
25 questions investigating various aspects of mastocytosis and asked
6,239 physicians to respond. Data concerning physician characteristics
and the number of patients followed were used to estimate overall
prevalence. To assess patients’ QoL, we focused on the presence of signs
and symptoms and the patients’ burden specifically in those with either
indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) or mastocytosis in the skin (MIS).
Results: Between July 11, 2023, and September 1, 2023, 1,169
physicians (18.7%) completed the survey. These physicians managed 4,121
mastocytosis patients, corresponding to an estimated prevalence of
mastocytosis of 8.5 per 100,000 in France. In the ISM/MIS population
(representing 76% of mastocytosis patients), 53% presented moderate to
severe symptoms (mainly skin, digestive and general symptoms). Overall,
physicians indicated that there was substantial burden associated with
these symptoms in almost all fields of QoL analyzed.
Conclusions: Our results provide further evidence of the burden
associated with mastocytosis and highlight the need to improve QoL in
these patients.