Primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a population-based registry.

In a population-based registry of 580 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) 54 patients had a primary gastric lymphoma, 42 an intestinal, 113 a primary extranodal lymphoma localised elsewhere than in the gastrointestinal tract and 371 a primary nodal NHL. Histological specimens were reviewed by a panel of pathologists and classified according to the Kiel classification and the International Working Formulation. The 4-year survival rates for primary gastric, intestinal, other extranodal and nodal NHL ranged from 50 to 60%; the 4-year recurrence-free survival rates were 50%, 35%, 19% and 19%, respectively. Among patients with localised intermediate-grade disease survival for those with gastric NHL was better than for those with intestinal lymphoma. Because it is population-based, our study cohort was not subjected to exclusion due to age, performance scale, etc. and therefore provides a more realistic picture of the occurrence and presentation of as well as prognosis for lymphoma in the population.