title: Primary gastric lymphoma.
abstract: This is a population-based review of 153 cases of primary gastric lymphoma. Sixty-seven (43 per cent) were histologically reviewed using the Kiel classification. There were no significant differences between reviewed and unreviewed cases. Ninety-seven per cent of all cases were of the non-Hodgkin's type. The annual incidence was constant at 1.2 per cent of gastric malignancies. The mean age was 60 years and the male to female ratio 1:8. Presenting symptoms were similar to those of gastric cancer. Twenty-one per cent had a palpable mass but one-third of these were amenable to a potentially curative resection. Some 66 per cent were resectable and 58 per cent had a macroscopic clearance of tumour. TNM stage and absolute tumour size were significant prognostic factors (P less than 0.005 and P less than 0.05 respectively) but the Kiel classification was not. The overall 5 year survival was 24 per cent. Apart from 10 patients whose only anti-tumour treatment was radiotherapy (5 year survival 36.9 per cent) no patient who did not have curative surgery survived 5 years. The 5 year survival for curative resection was 34 per cent and for curative resection plus radiotherapy was 43.5 per cent (45 and 73.4 per cent for the node negative cases respectively). A laparotomy is essential; 'curative' surgery possibly with adjuvant radiotherapy offers the best hope for cure.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy