[Primary gastrointestinal lymphomas: clinical and pathological aspects and survival]

This retrospective study evaluated 32 patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma managed at Belen Hospital, Trujillo, Peru, from 1966 to 1994 to determine their clinicopathologic findings and identify those prognostic factors that influenced in the 5-year survival. Median age was 44.2 years. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1 and seventh decade was the most involved. Abdominal pain, the predominant symptom, was present in gastric (100%) and intestinal (91%) lymphoma. Small intestine was involved in 62.5% cases, followed by stomach (28.1%). Most common stage was II1E (50%) and predominant histological was high grade-MALT type lymphoma (81.3%). Five year survival rate was 29% for those who received some kind of treatment (n = 30): It was 38% for whom underwent surgery plus chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy compared to those who only underwent surgery (23%) (p < 0.05). Factors as histological type (p < 0.005), stage (p < 0.005) and tumoral size (p < 0.05) were associated with long term survival. We conclude that early diagnosis is important to define management in these patients and post-operatory adjuvant treatment should be considered to obtain a longer survival.