ObjectiveTo observe the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer, and to investigate the relationship between the CTCs and clinicalpathological features of gastric cancer. MethodsSixty cases of gastric cancer from September 2011 to September 2013 of our hospital were as the research object, and compared with 40 cases of benign gastric disease over the same period. These patients' venous blood were collected, the CTCs counts were determined by using the CellTracks AutoPrep fluorescence scaning system, and the relationship between CTCs and clinicopathological features of gastric cancer was analyzed. ResultsThe detection rate of CTCs in gastric cancer patients was 70.0% (42/60), in control group was 7.5% (3/40). The positive rate of CTCs in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer was significantly higher than that of benign gastric disease (P<0.05). The positive rate of CTCs in peripheral blood were no correlated with gender, age, N staging, distant metastasis, tumor size, and vascular invasion (P>0.05), but were correlated with the TNM staging of tumor and degree of differentiation (P<0.05). The cumulative survival rates of 12 months and 18 months after operation in CTCs negtive patients with gastric cancer were higher than that CTCs positive patients (P<0.05). ConclusionsThe detection of CTCs is easy to manage and repeatable. The positive rate of CTCs in gastric patients is higher, which can reflect the progression of tumor and serve as the prognostic index in gastric cance patients.