ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of dendritic cell (DC)-cytokine induced killer (CIK) cell adoptive immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy.MethodsForty-eight patients with gastric cancer after the radical gastrectomy receiving the DC-CIK cell adoptive immunotherapy combined with XELOX or FOLFOX chemotherapy were enrolled as a study group in the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2014 to January 2016. In addition, 48 patients with gastric cancer after the radical gastrectomy in the same period and only receiving XELOX or FOLFOX chemotherapy were collected as a control group. The CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3–CD56+ (NK cell), and CD3+CD56+ (NKT cell), toxic reaction, quality of life were evaluated in both groups before and after the treatment, and the long term effect were compared in both groups.Results① There were no significant differences in the gender, age, clinical stage, etc. between the two groups (P>0.05). ② The CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD3–CD56+, and CD3+CD56+ cells in the peripheral blood had no significant changes between before and after treatment in the study group (P>0.05), which were decreased after the treatment in the control group as compared with before the treatment and were significantly lower than those in the study group (P<0.05). ③ The levels of CEA, CA19-9, and CA724 in the peripheral blood after the treatment in the study group and the control group were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P<0.05), which in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group after the treatment (P<0.05). ④ The incidences of leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and diarrhea in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). ⑤ Compared with before the treatment, the body function and emotional function after the treatment were significantly improved in the study group (P<0.05). And in the body function, emotion function, role function, cognitive function, and social function were significantly improved than those in the control group (P<0.05) after the treatment. ⑥ The progression-free survival in the study group was significantly better than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the overall survival between the study group and the control group (P>0.05).ConclusionDC-CIK cell adoptive immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy could significantly improve immune status and quality of life of patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy, reduce adverse effects of chemotherapy, improve long term effect, and prolong progression-free survival.