Pl. Zinzani et al., NONGASTROINTESTINAL MUCOSA-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID-TISSUE (MALT) LYMPHOMAS - CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC FEATURES OF 24 LOCALIZED PATIENTS, Annals of oncology, 8(9), 1997, pp. 883-886
Background: Peripheral B-cell lymphoma of the marginal zone (MALT, loc
i-grade), presenting as localized, extranodal disease, usually affects
the elderly. The gastrointestinal tract is the most frequently involv
ed extranodal location, representing 70% of all MALT lymphomas. Recent
ly, numerous other extranodal sites involved by MALT lymphomas have al
so been described. Patients and methods: From January 1990 to October
1995, 24 patients with untreated nongastrointestinal low-grade MALT ly
mphoma were submitted to treatments ranging from the local approach of
radiotherapy and local alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) administration to
chemotherapy The tumours were located in the lung (seven cases), conj
unctiva (four cases), lachrymal gland and orbital soft tissue (four ca
ses), salivary glands (three cases), skin (three cases), breast (two c
ases), and thyroid (one case). All patients had low-grade stage IE tum
ours.Results: Chemotherapy was administered in 11 patients (six with l
ung, three with salivary gland, one with breast, and one with thyroid
locations); radiation therapy was employed in seven patients (three wi
th lachrymal gland, three with skin, and one with breast locations); l
ocal a-IFN administration was administered in five patients (four with
conjunctival, and one with lachrymal gland sites); and surgery was em
ployed in one patient with a lung tumour. All patients achieved comple
te remissions: three local recurrences and two relapses in other sites
were observed. The global five-year survival rate was 100% with a rel
apse-free survival rate of 79%. Conclusions. These data confirm the si
gnificant efficacy of different therapeutic approaches to specific sit
es inbes obtaining a good remission rate for nongastrointestinal local
ized low-grade MALT lymphomas.