title: Primary gastrointestinal non Hodgkin's lymphoma chemotherapy alone an effective treatment modality: experience from a single centre in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal tract (GI) is the most frequently involved extra nodal site in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy (CT) have been used mostly in various combinations, but lately chemotherapy alone has emerged as an effective option. The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy of CT alone in treatment of primary GI-NHL and to compare the results with combined CT+surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of case records of GI NHL patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 15-year period (1986-2000), 77 new cases of primary GI-NHL were registered at our center. GI-NHL was defined according to standard criteria. All patients received chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age was 32 years (Range 9-80). Endoscopy / CT guided biopsies were performed in 42% (32) of patients for the purpose of diagnosis. Laparotomy was done in 58% (45) of patients to establish a diagnosis or as primary or debulking treatment. Stomach and intestines were involved in 47% (36) and 53% (41) patients respectively. Early stage disease was present in 37% (29). Seventy eight percent of tumors were intermediate to high grade, 43% (33) received only CT while 57% (44) received CT+surgery. Five years EFS and OS were: 72% and 65% for all patients; 72% and 67% for CT only group; 60% and 64% for CT+surgery group (P=.05). Four patients died of neutropenic infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Organ-preservation strategy using chemotherapy alone (CT) can be successfully employed in a significant number of patients with primary GI-NHL.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Oncology, Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. atul1@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: Atul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Amish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vora
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: S V S
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Deo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dawar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007813:Laparotomy; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome