title: Clinical features, treatment and outcome in a series of 93 patients with low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to report the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome following different therapeutic approaches in a large series of patients with primary low-grade MALT lymphoma of the stomach. A total of ninety-three patients (median age 63 years) were reviewed. The patients were treated by different modalities (local treatment alone, combined treatment, chemotherapy, antibiotics alone); seven patients refused any treatment. The antibiotic-treated group of patients was prospectively followed with regular endoscopic biopsies, and their responses were histologically evaluated. The 5-years projected overall survival is 82% (95% C.I.; 67%-91%) in the series as a whole. Second tumors were observed in 21.5% of the patients in this series (95% CI 14%v to 31%). There was no apparent difference in overall survival and event-free survival between patients who received different treatments. In the antibiotic-treated group histologic regression of MALT lymphoma was documented in 67% of patients (95% CI 51% to 80%). In conclusion the indolent nature of the disease justifies a conservative approach. The use of antibiotics as first-line therapy may avert or at least postpone the indication for surgical resection in the majority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Divisione Clinica Medica, Ospedale Multizonale, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinotti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zucca
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roggero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascarella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capella
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pedrinis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saletti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santandrea
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavalli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D002699:Chlorambucil; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone