Objective To explore the clinical epidemiologic characteristics and tendency of gastric cancer during recently ten years in northern Henan province. Methods The clinical data of 1 090 patients with gastric cancer in our department were collected from January 1998 to May 2008. The ten-year period was divided into two groups: previous 5 years group (n=433) and post 5 years group (n=657). The age, gender, pathologic characteristics and the relationship between age and pathologic features were analyzed retrospectively. Results ①The patient’s age was 15-83 years old 〔mean （57.60±10.84） years old〕 and men-momen ratio was 3.71∶1 in previous 5-year group. The patient’s age was 18-82 years old 〔mean （58.95±10.81）years old〕 and men-momen ratio was 2.84∶1 in post 5-year group. There was no significant difference in age or gender between two groups （Pgt;0.05）. ②Gastric cancer arised in cardia and gastric fundus more common and for the incidence of the site no change was found in two groups. The incidence of gastric antrum cancer descended but that of gastric body arised. ③The mean age of patients with gastrocardiac cancer was significantly different (Plt;0.05) between two groups. No significant difference occurred on the mean age of patients with gastric antrum (Pgt;0.05) or gastric body cancer (Pgt;0.05). The mean age of patients with highly malignant tumor (signet ring cell cancer, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma) was significantly different compared with that of patients with lowly malignant tumor (well differentiated and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma) (Plt;0.05). ④The proportion of patients with highly and lowly malignant tumor presented significantly different between the previous 5 years and the post 5 years (Plt;0.05). ⑤The proportion of early gastric cancer was very low and no correlation was found between infiltrating depth and age in all patients (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion Cardia and gastric fundus is the most common site of gastric cancer in northern Henan province. The patients with gastrocardiac cancer are often older but gastric antrum and gastric body cancer patients are younger. Highly malignant gastric cancer is often found in youths, however, lowly malignant gastric cancer occurred predominantly in elderly. The proportion of gastric cancer found early is very low in northern Henan province.