[Lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract: a neoplastic disease of underdevelopment]

458/3,495 malignant lymphomas seen at the Instituto de Enfermedades Neoplásicas between 1965-1992, had primary extranodal disease in the GI tract. This is one of the largest institutional series reported, which would suggest that this is a relatively frequent malignancy in Peruvian population. Fifty per cent of cases had a primary in the small bowel and 38.9 per cent in the stomach. The age at presentation, the clinical picture and the location at the intestine show similarities with the so called Mediterranean lymphoma. Cases were classified according to the TNM system, and patients in stages I-II were surgically resected; 80 per cent of them were alive and free of disease at 5 years. Gastric lymphomas with inoperable disease were treated with chemotherapy with a 5-year survival of 50 per cent.