title: The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess radiotherapy for patients with early stage gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with respect to survival, treatment response, and complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enrolled into this study were 48 patients diagnosed with gastric MALT lymphoma from January 2000 to September 2012. Forty-one patients had low grade and seven had mixed component with high grade. Helicobacter pylori eradication was performed in 33 patients. Thirty-four patients received radiotherapy alone. Ten patients received chemotherapy before radiotherapy, and three patients underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. One patient received surgery followed by radiotherapy. All patients received radiotherapy of median dose of 30.6 Gy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of follow-up ranged from 6 to 158 months (median, 48 months). Five-year overall survival and cause-specific survival rates were 90.3% and 100%. All patients treated with radiotherapy alone achieved pathologic complete remission (pCR) in 31 of the low-grade and in three of the mixed-grade patients. All patients treated with chemotherapy and/or surgery prior to radiotherapy achieved pCR except one patient who received chemotherapy before radiotherapy. During the follow-up period, three patients developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the stomach, and one developed gastric adenocarcinoma after radiotherapy. No grade 3 or higher acute or late complications developed. One patient, who initially exhibited gastroptosis, developed mild atrophy of left kidney.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that a modest dose of radiotherapy alone can achieve a high cure rate for low-grade and even mixed-grade gastric MALT lymphoma without serious toxicity. Patients should be carefully observed after radiotherapy to screen for secondary malignancies.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Taek-Keun
authors: TK
authors: Nam
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Jae-Sook
authors: JS
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Yoo-Duk
authors: YD
authors: Choi
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Jae-Uk
authors: JU
authors: Jeong
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Yong-Hyeob
authors: YH
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Mee Sun
authors: MS
authors: Yoon
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Ju-Young
authors: JY
authors: Song
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Sung-Ja
authors: SJ
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors: Woong-Ki
authors: WK
authors: Chung
keywords: Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma; Radiotherapy; Stomach