Primary Intestinal Lymphoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma is the most common form of extranodal lymphoma. The clinical features, histological distributions, treatment results and prognosis of the primary intestinal lymphoma were evaluated. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 62 patients with primary intestinal lymphoma, as defined by Lewin's criteria, from May 1990 to February 2002. The WHO classification and Ann Arbor staging system were used for histological classification and staging, respectively. RESULTS: The sex ratio of the patients was 43 19 (male female), and the median age was 54 years. Abdominal pain, a palpable mass, and bleeding were the most frequent symptoms on presentation. The ileocecal area was the most frequent pathological site. Fifty-three cases were non- Hodgkin's lymphoma of B-cell origination; all of the remaining were T-cell originated. The mean survival period of B-cell and T-cell originated were 59.3 and 14.3 months, respectively (P<0.05). The 5 year survival rates of the patients in stage IE and IIE, and stage IIIE and IVE, were 52.4 and 32.6%, respectively (P=0.03). Six patients received surgery, 17 chemotherapy, and 39 surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy. Among the patients confined to stage IE and IIE, the 3 year survival rates of the surgery and surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy groups were 34 and 84%, respectively (P=0.0049). CONCLUSION: Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma of B-cell origination was predominant in relation to the WHO classification and revealed a better prognosis when compared to the T-cell originated lymphoma. For the patients with localized intestinal lymphoma, multimodality treatment (surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy) is preferred to the sole administration of chemotherapy.