Treatment of gastric lymphoma

A review of 52 patients with gastric lymphoma at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine Affiliated Scott and White Memorial Hospital (Temple, TX). was performed to determine the influence of different treatment modalities. Thirty-one patients had a potentially curative resection, while 21 underwent a palliative procedure or biopsy alone. Overall 5-year survival was 73.4 per cent after curative resection and 38.3 per cent for lesser operative procedures (P less than .005). Adjuvant radiation was given to 14 patients after curative resection with a 5-year survival rate of 71.5 per cent compared to 82.4 per cent in the 17 patients treated by curative resection alone (nonsignificant). Patients who underwent palliative surgery or biopsy who received postoperative radiation therapy had a 38.0 per cent 5-year survival rate compared to a 0.0 per cent 5-year survival rate in patients who received no therapy (P = .18). The authors conclude that curative resection is the treatment of choice for gastric lymphoma, but radiation therapy may offer some benefit when complete resection is not feasible.