Background: Treatment aimed at eradicating Helicobacter pylori infection results in lymphoma remission in most localized gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas. The aim of this survey is to investigate the long-term effect of this therapeutic approach in a large series of patients.
Methods: One hundred and five patients with localized gastric MALT lymphoma were initially treated only with H. pylori eradication regimens. Lymphoma responses were graded using the Wotherspoon score.
Results: Helicobacter pylori, detected by histology in 81% of cases, was eradicated in all positive patients. Histological regression of the lymphoma was achieved in 78 of 102 assessable patients [76%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 67% to 84%] with complete remission (score 0-2) in 66 and partial remission (score 3) in 12. At a median follow-up time of 6.3 years, histological remission was consistently confirmed in 33 of 74 assessable patients, while 25 had score fluctuations (from 0 to 4) and 13 presented a lymphoma relapse (score 5). Only one patient had a distant progression. Transformation to a large-cell lymphoma was seen in two cases. The 5- and 10-year overall survival is 92% (95% CI: 84% to 96%) and 83% (95% CI: 70% to 91%), respectively. Only one patient died of lymphoma after transformation to a high-grade lymphoma.
Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori eradication resulted in complete lymphoma remission in the majority of cases. Long-term clinical disease control was achieved in most patients. A watch and wait policy appears to be safe in patients with minimal residual disease or histological-only local relapse.