AIM: To analyze the clinical features, management, and outcome of treatment of patients with primary intestinal and colonic non-Hodgkins lymphoma (PICL).METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 37 patients with early-stage PICL who were treated in our hospital from 1958 to 1998. Their clinical features,management, and outcome were assessed. Prognostic factors for survival were analyzed by univariate analysis using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and log-rank test.RESULTS: Twenty-five patients presented with Ann Arbor stage I PICL and 12 with Ann Arbor stage Ⅱ PICL. Thirty-five patients underwent surgery (including 31 with complete resection), 22 received postoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy or both. Two patients with rectal tumors underwent biopsy and chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. The 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 51.9% and 44.5%. The corresponding diseasefree survival (DFS) rates were 42.4% and 37.7%. In univariate analysis, multiple-modality treatment was associated with a better DFS rate compared to single treatment (P = 0.001).While age, tumor size, tumor site, stage, histology, or extent of surgery were not associated with OS and DFS,use of adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved DFS (P = 0.031) for the 31 patients who underwent complete resection. Additional radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy led to a longer survival than chemotherapy alone in six patients with gross residual disease after surgery or biopsy.CONCLUSION: Combined surgery and chemotherapy is recommended for treatment of patients with PICL.Additional radiotherapy is needed to improve the outcome of patients who have gross residual disease after surgery.