Clinical Study of Primary Gastric Lymphoma and Analysis of Prognostic Factors

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The stomach is the most common extra nodal site for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma primary gastric lymphomas are uncommon, constituting only 1% to 5% of malignant gastric lesions. METHODS: To elucidate the clinicopathologic features of this lymphoma, we retrospectively analyzed 33 patients with primary gastric lymphoma who had been treated at our hospital from Jan. 1986 to Dec. 1995. RESULTS: Primary gastric lymphomas were 1.2% of all gastric cancers. The mean age 46 years (range 25 to 68 years). There were 23 men and 10 women. The most frequent chief complaint was epigastric pain. The most common location was the gastric antrum and body. According to the working formulation, the malignancy grades were 4 low, 26 intermediate, and 3 high. The overall 5-year survival rate was 60%. Survival of five years according to the TNM stage of the disease was as follows stage 1, 88%; stage II, 71%; stage III, 33%; and stage IV, 29%. Patient with stage I, II disease had a 5-survival rate of 80% versus 35% for stage III, IV disease (p<0.05). Tumor serosal involvement and 5-year survival was follows no perigastric serosal involvement, 93%; serosal infiltration, 33% (p=0.0016). In cases undergoing a subtotal gastrectomy, 5-year survival rate was 70%, whereas patients undergoing a total gastrectomy had a 5-year survival rate of 30% (p<0.05). Those with tumors smaller than 7 centimeters had a 5-year survival rate of 66% versus 38% for larger neoplasms (p=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: By univariate analysis, the stage, operation methods, and serosa involvement were significant prognostic factors. However, in multivariate analysis, only the serosa involvement was significant prognostic factor.