title: Intermediate and high-grade gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a prospective study of non-surgical treatment with primary chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy.
abstract: The role of surgery as initial treatment in gastric lymphoma remains controversial. We have prospectively evaluated a stomach conservation strategy in histologically aggressive gastric lymphoma, using primary adriamycin-containing chemotherapy, followed by involved-field radiotherapy in patients with limited disease. Twenty-six patients (median age 69 years) were entered in this study; 15 had stage I disease, 7 had stage II disease and 4 had stage IV disease. The chemotherapy combinations were CHOP (18 patients) and ProMACE/MOPP (8 patients). Radiotherapy was given to 11 patients. Of the 24 patients evaluated for response, 18 (75%) achieved endoscopically-confirmed complete response and 4 (17%) partial response. During follow-up (median 22 months), none of the complete responders developed recurrent lymphoma. Gastric resection was performed in 1/26 patients who did not respond to primary chemotherapy. There were no cases of perforation, but three patients (12%) developed acute gastro-intestinal bleeding a few days after the onset of chemotherapy, one of whom required a surgical devascularization procedure. There was no treatment-related mortality. These data further support the non-surgical approach in histologically aggressive gastric lymphoma, using primary chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leviov
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Arieh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Epelbaum
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Freidin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reshef
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Shahar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D011344:Procarbazine; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate