Primary gastrointestinal non Hodgkin's lymphoma chemotherapy alone an effective treatment modality: experience from a single centre in India.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal tract (GI) is the most frequently involved extra nodal site in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (CT) have been used mostly in various combinations, but lately chemotherapy alone has emerged as an effective option. The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy of CT alone in treatment of primary GI-NHL and to compare the results with combined CT+surgery. SETTING AND DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of case records of GI NHL patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 15-year period (1986-2000), 77 new cases of primary GI-NHL were registered at our center. GI-NHL was defined according to standard criteria. All patients received chemotherapy. RESULTS: The median age was 32 years (Range 9-80). Endoscopy / CT guided biopsies were performed in 42% (32) of patients for the purpose of diagnosis. Laparotomy was done in 58% (45) of patients to establish a diagnosis or as primary or debulking treatment. Stomach and intestines were involved in 47% (36) and 53% (41) patients respectively. Early stage disease was present in 37% (29). Seventy eight percent of tumors were intermediate to high grade, 43% (33) received only CT while 57% (44) received CT+surgery. Five years EFS and OS were: 72% and 65% for all patients; 72% and 67% for CT only group; 60% and 64% for CT+surgery group (P=.05). Four patients died of neutropenic infection. CONCLUSION: Organ-preservation strategy using chemotherapy alone (CT) can be successfully employed in a significant number of patients with primary GI-NHL.