Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of c-erbB-2 and rim23, and their clinical significance in gastric cancer. Methods The expression of c-erbB-2 and nm23 were detected by using immunohistochemical (SP) method in 85 surgi-cally removed specimens from patients with gastric cancer. Results The expression rate of c-erbB-2 and nm23 were 74.1% (63/85),52.9% (45/85). c-erbB-2 was positively correlated with the location, size and depth of invasion of gastric cancer, but not related with the histological types and lymph node metastasis. The expression rate of nm23 in patients without lymph node metastasis (85.7%) and in stage Ⅰ+Ⅱ (72.7%) was higher than that in patients with lymph node metastasis (42.2%) and in stage Ⅲ + Ⅳ (46.0%). The depth of inva-sion and clinical stage between the patients with c-erbB-2 over-expression and nm23 low-expression were positively related(P<0.01 or P<0.01). Conclusion c-erbB-2 promoted growth and invasion of gastric cancer, and nm23 restrained metastasis of gastric cancer. Both c-erbB-2 and nm23 could be served as predictors for biological behavior of gastric cancer.