[Primary lymphoma of the stomach. Clinical and prognostic analysis of our experience and 20 years' literature].

Primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) is a comparatively rare cancer. A large series from the literature forms the basis for a review of the clinical aspects, the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures most recently adopted and the long-term results. 1837 cases of PGL have been analysed: in 1196 of them symptomatology was painful, ulcer-like; the diagnosis of a malignant lesion was obtained in 72% of cases by radiography, while oesophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy produced a diagnosis of gastric lymphoma in 47.6% of cases. 1634 patients were subjected to surgical therapy with a resection index of 66.5% and postoperative mortality between 0 and 22.25%. Back-up treatment for the various stages of the disease is not well codified but is indicated by most authors. The prognosis of PGL is comparatively good compared to that of other intestinal lymphomas with total survival, independently of the stage, of 44.3% at 5 years. Surgical therapy is the intervention of choice in cases in which there is a possibility of resection in advanced stages also. Overviews are required so as to quantify the role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in both initial and advanced stages.