Primary lymphomas and sarcomas of the stomach

The records of patients with primary gastric lymphoma and sarcoma treated at M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute between 1945 and 1975 were reviewed. Weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting were the most common presenting symptoms, while palpable abdominal mass was the most common sign. The lymphomas were predominantly located in the distal portion of the stomach, in contrast to the sarcomas, which were commonly located in the body and the proximal portion of stomach. Curative gastric resection was performed in 96% of patients with lymphoma and in 67% of patients with sarcoma. Diffuse histiocytic lymphoma and leiomyosarcoma were the most common histologic types. Patients with lymphoma survived significantly longer than patients with sarcoma (median 75 vs 22 months, P = 0.009). Adjuvant radiotherapy seemed to improve the survival of patients with lymphoma, while curative gastric resection provided the only hope for long-term survival for patients with gastric sarcoma. The place of adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection of gastric lymphoma and sarcoma remains to be investigated.