There is still no consensus on the optimal treatment for primary gastrointestinal lymphoma (PGIL). The aim of this study was to compare surgery combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone in PGIL.

We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the treatment outcomes of 107 patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma diagnosed between March 1999 and December 2009 at Kosin University Gospel Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: 35 patients who underwent surgery combined with chemotherapy (group A) and 72 patients who were treated with chemotherapy alone (group B). And we analyzed prognostic factors associated with short survival.

The 5-year progression free survival rates (PFS) of group A and B were 86.7% and 66.1%, respectively (P = 0.037), while the 5-year overall survival rates (OS) were 86.8% and 68.4%, respectively (P = 0.129). In multivariate analysis, Both PFS and OS were not changed by treatment strategies (surgery combined with chemotherapy or chemotherapy only). The international prognostic index (IPI) was the only independent predictive factor for PFS.

In our study, surgery combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy only make no difference of survival rate. And further randomized prospective studies are needed to confirm a treatment strategies at improving survival outcomes in PGIL patients.