TREATMENT AND PROGNOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY GASTRIC MALT LYMPHOMA

The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the different tr eatment approaches and outcome in patients with early stage IE low-gra de B-cell lymphoma of mucosaa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in a t ertiary reference centre. Between 1986 to 1993, a total of 105 cases o f gastric MALT lymphoma stage IE were analized. According to the MALT- classification the malignancy grade was low in all cases. Patients rec eiving the following treatment modalities: radiotherapy alone (n = 29) or with (n = 36) surgery; chemotherapy alone (n = 29) or with radioth erapy and/or surgery (n = 11). The 7-year actuarial time to treatment failure rates were 78 % in patients who received radiotherapy with sur gery, 87 % in patients given chemotherapy alone and 77 % in patients t reated with chemotherapy and/or surgery. Overall survival were also si milar. No statistical differences were observed between the different treatment modalities. In the multivariate analysis determinations of l actic dehydrogenase and beta 2 microglobulin were significant prognost ic factors. In effect radiotherapy alone seemed to be as effective as systemic or combined modalities in achieving the study goals.