[Clinical Efficacy of Radiotherapy in Negative or Unresponsive to Eradication Therapy Primary Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The eradication of () is an effective treatment in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma associated with infection. However, the treatment strategy in gastric MALT lymphoma patients who are -negative or unresponsive to eradication therapy remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the clinical efficacy of treatments other than eradication therapy in these groups of patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective single-center study based on the medical records of patients diagnosed with gastric MALT lymphoma at Yeungnam University Medical Center between January 2005 and December 2016. Patients were treated with eradication therapy, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy according to their infection status and stage of gastric MALT lymphoma.

RESULTS

Of the 68 eligible patients, 50 were enrolled in the study. Of the 42 patients with -positive gastric MALT lymphoma, 36 (81.7%) were treated with eradication therapy as primary treatment and 25 (69.4%) achieved a complete response (CR). Patients without a CR after eradication therapy (n=11, 30.6%) received radiotherapy as a secondary treatment. Two patients with -positive gastric MALT lymphoma and eight with -negative gastric MALT lymphoma received radiotherapy as the primary treatment. CR was achieved in all 21 patients treated with radiotherapy as primary or secondary treatment. The 5-year progression-free survival rate after radiotherapy was 92.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiotherapy may be a worthwhile treatment option in patients with -negative MALT lymphoma or -positive MALT lymphoma that is not responsive to eradication therapy.