Stomach cancer accounts for nearly a quarter of cancer deaths. China is a high incidence area for gastric cancer, and the annual prevalence and mortality rate of gastric cancer are more than twice the world average. In the second national cause of death survey organized by the Ministry of Health from 1990 to 1992, the crude death rate of gastric cancer in China was 25.2/100,000 (32.8/100,000 for men and 17.0/100,000 for women), accounting for 23.2% of all deaths due to cancer, nearly a quarter. The incidence of gastric cancer is currently decreasing in men and increasing in women. According to an estimate by Dr. Ling Yang of the National Office of Cancer Control, published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in 2006, the incidence of gastric cancer in China reached 37.1/100,000 among men and 17.4/100,000 among women in 2005. With 400,000 new gastric cancer cases and 300,000 deaths per year, gastric cancer would be the third most common tumor in China (after lung and liver cancer in men, and after breast and lung cancer in women). Between 2000 and 2005, the incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer decreased slightly, but this downward trend was caused by males; in contrast, the incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer in females tended to increase. It is widely believed that the decrease in the incidence of gastric cancer is mainly related to the change of dietary patterns and the popularity of refrigerators. In 1972, the incidence rate of stomach cancer in Shanghai was 62/100,000 for men and 23.9/100,000 for women, while in 1995, the incidence rate dropped to 36/100,000 and 18/100,000 for men and women respectively, especially for men. However, we should be alert to the fact that stomach cancer is approaching young people, and the ratio of stomach cancer among young people to the total number of stomach cancer in China has increased to 3.3% in recent years, up from 1.7% in the 1970s. In general, the survival rate of patients in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer is better, which is related to the tumor site of gastric cancer patients in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer. The prognosis of tumors occurring in the pyloric sinus was better than those occurring in the cardia site. Early screening of people in high-risk areas can improve the rate of early diagnosis of gastric cancer and greatly reduce mortality. For example, in Japan, where mass screening for gastric cancer was conducted in some areas, the mortality rate from gastric cancer in men has decreased by almost 50% since the 1970s. If gastric cancer is confined to the mucosal layer of the stomach wall, the 5-year survival rate can be as high as 95 percent. However, few patients with gastric cancer are currently detected at an early stage, resulting in a 5-year survival rate of 20%-50%. Therefore, early detection and treatment are the most critical means to reduce the mortality rate of gastric cancer.