Treatment outcome of 40 patients with early stage nongastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Abstract

Objective To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of patients with stage Ⅰ_E/Ⅱ_Enongastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Methods Between 2000 and 2006, 40 patients with previously untreated nongrastric MALT lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. The primary site of lymphoma was the intestinal tract in 10 patients, the orbit in 9, the thyroid in 8, the lung in 5, the Waldeyer ring in 2, and the others organs in6. At diagnosis, 27 patients had stage Ⅰ_E, and 13 had stage Ⅱ_E disease. Seventeen patients were treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, 18 with chemotherapy without radiotherapy, and 5 with surgery alone. The median age was 54 years. The ratio of male to female was 2: 1. Results With a median follow-up of 58 months, the estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 86% and 82%, respectively. The 5-year OS and PFS rates were 92% and 85% for stage Ⅰ_E, 76% and 82% for stage Ⅱ_E disease, respectively (χ~2 =3.66,P =0. 060;χ~2 =1.04,P=0. 300). The 5-year OS and PFS rates were both 100% for patients with MALT lymphoma of the orbit and ocular adnexa. None of the 17 patients with radiotherapy had locoregional relapse, whereas 3 of 23 (13%) patients without radiotherapy had locoregional relapse. Conclusions Patients with stage Ⅰ_E nongastric MALT lymphoma have a favorable prognosis. Radiotherapy is still a standard care for early stage disease. The treatment outcome of patients with MALT lymphoma of the orbit and ocular adnexa is even better. Key words: Lymphoma, nongrastic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue/radiotherapy; Lymphoma, nongrastic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue/chemotherapy; Prognosis