Gastrointestinal lymphoma. A case for primary surgical resection.

The cases of 42 consecutive patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma were reviewed to compare the risks and outcomes of different primary treatment modalities. Among patients with localized disease (stages I and II), 12 underwent complete tumor resection and 6 underwent radiation therapy; 5-year survival was 82% and 50%, respectively. Among patients with disseminated disease (stages III and IV), 6 underwent resection of the primary tumor followed by chemotherapy and 18 were treated with radiation and chemotherapy; 5-year survival was 81% and 6%, respectively. Five patients who did not undergo surgical resection before radiation therapy or chemotherapy developed severe life-threatening complications from their primary tumor. Surgical resection before the administration of other therapy should be performed when the patient is considered to be a surgical candidate and resection of the primary tumor is deemed feasible.