Treatment And Prognosis In Patients With Primary Gastric Malt Lymphoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the different treatment approaches and outcome in patients with early stage IE low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosaa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in a tertiary reference centre. Between 1986 to 1993, a total of 105 cases of gastric MALT lymphoma stage IE were analized. According to the MALT-classification the malignancy grade was low in all cases. Patients receiving the following treatment modalities: radiotherapy alone (n = 29) or with (n = 36) surgery; chemotherapy alone (n = 29) or with radiotherapy and/or surgery (n = 11). The 7-year actuarial time to treatment failure rates were 78 % in patients who received radiotherapy with surgery, 87 % in patients given chemotherapy alone and 77 % in patients treated with chemotherapy and/or surgery. Overall survival were also similar. No statistical differences were observed between the different treatment modalities. In the multivariate analysis determinations of lactic dehydrogenase and beta 2 microglobulin were significant prognostic factors.In effect radiotherapy alone seemed to be as effective as systemic or combined modalities in achieving the study goals.