Second cancers and residual disease in patients treated for gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma by Helicobacter pylori eradication and followed for 10 years.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection induces remission in most patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (GML) that is associated with these bacteria. We determined the long-term outcomes of these patients in a prospective multicenter trial and investigated whether they developed second cancers or had histologic residual disease.

METHODS: We followed 120 patients with stage EI1 GML for a median of 122 months after H pylori eradication (range, 1-171 months). Remission was determined by histology analysis and development of second cancers was documented.

RESULTS: Of the patients, 80% (96 of 120) achieved complete remission from GML, and 80% of those (77 of 96) remained disease free. Estimated mean survival time in the Kaplan-Meier analysis was 147 months (95% confidence interval: 138-156 months). Of the patients that achieved complete remission, 17% (16 of 96) had histologic residual disease after a median of 32 months (range, 3-68 months). Disease did not progress in any of these patients, and all but 1 achieved a second complete remission (median duration, 46 months). Standardized morbidity ratios revealed a significantly higher incidence of gastric cancer (8.567; 95% confidence interval, 3.566-20.582) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (18.621; 95% confidence interval: 8.365-41.448) in the 96 patients that achieved a complete remission, compared with the general German population.

CONCLUSIONS: Cure of H pylori infection leads to continuous complete remission in most patients with H pylori-associated GML. Patients are at risk for development of secondary cancers (ie, gastric cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma).