RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment regimens for the primary gastric lymphoma (PGL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 98 PGL patients treated from January 1994 to December 2006 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Abdominal pain was the common symptom of PGL. All the patients were at stage I or stage II, and the preoperative diagnosis rate was 56.5%. The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 95.1%, 86.0% and 73.0% respectively. The 5-year survival rates of stage I and stage II patients were 89.5% and 66.7% respectively, and the difference was significant. The 5-year survival rate of patients received operations was 77.2% and that without operation was 75.0%, the difference was not significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The therapy based on chemotherapy is preferred for the treatment of PGL. In the cases of serious gastrointestinal complications, indefinite pathological diagnosis or non-effective chemotherapy, operations should be considered.</p>