The Determining Factors for Treatment Modality and the Results of Gastric Maginal Zone B-cell Lymphoma of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue: Single Center Experience

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Though the gastric marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) of Lugano stage IE and IIE1 can often be turned into complete remission with antibiotics treatment, other treatment modalities including surgery and chemotherapy are employed in some cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the determining factors for treatment modality and the result of the different treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with gastric MALT lymphoma in Yeoido St. Mary's Hospital from March 2002 to Feb 2010. RESULTS: All 16 patients were diagnosed with gastric MALT lymphoma at stage IE and IIE1. Three patients received chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone (CHOP) regimen, 3 patients underwent surgery and the other 10 patients received antibiotics only. All patients achieved complete remission within 5.1+/-5.1 months and remained stable for 34.8+/-17.6 months. There were no difference in oncologic outcome between the treatment modalities. The positivity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and the gastroenterology specialty of physician in charge lead to antibiotics treatment rather than other modalities (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The H. pylori infection status and the specialty of the physician in charge were the meaningful determining factors for treatment modalities.