The tumor-nodes-metastases (TNM) staging classification for gastric carcinoma was applied to 50 consecutive cases of primary gastric lymphoma. Survival statistics were obtained for each respective stage category and were remarkably similar to survival statistics for gastric carcinoma. Overall, patients with primary gastric lymphoma have a much better prognosis for survival than patients with gastric carcinoma since the latter present with far more frequent serosal penetration and nodal and distant metastases. Penetration of gastric lymphoma beyond the serosa is associated with a significantly decreased 5-year survival rate from 88 to 24%, and the presence of perigastric nodal involvement decreased the survival rate from 88 to 32%.