Primary gastric lymphoma. A survey of 7 cases

Clinical characteristics and response to therapy of 7 patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the stomach and 1 patient with double malignancy are analysed. All patients but one were gastrectomized and subjected to the chemotherapy (COP, CHOP or leukeran + prednison) programme. In 3 patients (2 with lymphocytic lymphoma and 1 with lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma) no recurrence occurred in the course of the observation time ranging from 18 to 20 months. In one patient with centrocytic lymphoma extra-abdominal recurrence was successfully treated with leukeran + prednison. 4 patients (2 with immunoblastic lymphoma and 1 with lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma) with abdominal or extra-abdominal recurrence died after a period ranging from 4 to 29 months despite more aggressive therapy with CHOP programme. Opinions concerning pathogenesis and treatment strategy of those lymphomas are presented too.