[Indication and treatment with surgical therapy in primary non-epithelial cancers of the stomach]

The importance of surgical treatment in non-epithelial, primary malignant tumors of the stomach was investigated retrospectively in 27 cases. 85.2% of these tumors were non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 14.8% were leiomyosarcomas and Hodgkin's disease. There were no typical symptoms; those present resembled the symptoms of carcinomas and peptic ulcers. Most patients showed symptoms on average 6 months prior to diagnosis. Histocytological studies of endoscopic biopsies enabled a correct diagnosis to be made preoperatively in up to 75% of cases. The postoperative mortality was 14.8%; the 5-year survival rate was 56.2%. Thus the prognosis is significantly better than that of advanced cancer of the stomach.