A Clinical Study of the Therapeutic Outcome of Low-Grade Gastric MALT Lymphoma

Park, Kang Jin; Kim, Dae Huyn; Kim, Sang Hun; Lim, Jung Hwan; Shim, Hyun Jeong; Lee, Wan Sik; Park, Chang Hwan; Joo, Young Eun; Kim, Hyen Soo; Choi, Sung Kyu; Rew, Jong Sun; Kim, Sei Jong

Abstract

The Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy is considered as primary treatment of low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma, but no treatment guidelines has been established for those lymphoma which are either unresponsive to eradication treatment for H. pylori or with no evidence of H. pylori infection. The purpose of this study is to estimate the outcomes of patients with low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma as related to the treatment modalities and various clinical characteristics. We retrospectively reviewed 41 patients who had been diagnosed as having primary low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma during the period between July 1999 and November 2005. Presenting symptoms and signs were epigastric pain (43.9%), nausea and vomiting (29.3%). The endoscopic findings were ulcerative/ulceroinfiltrative lesions (36.7/19.5%). Treatment modalities were H. pylori eradication, radiation, surgery and/or chemotherapy. The eradication therapy was very effective as primary treatment in the patients with H. pylori associated gastric MALT lymphoma. Complete remission (CR) was obtained in 14/17 patients (82.4%). There was no relapse during the follow-up (2~47 months). The CR rate of radiation therapy alone or combined with other treatment was 100%, and there were no significant side effects. H. pylori eradication was effective in patients with H. pylori-positive low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma. Radiation therapy may be preferred in those patients unresponsive to the eradication treatment for H. pylori or in those with no evidence of H. pylori infection.