Abstract: Objective 　To study significance of expression of VEGFR-3 (vascular endothelial growth factor recepter-3) in gastric cancer cells and to explore molecular biologic mechanismof lymphangiogenesis in gastric cancer. Methods 　Subjects investigated were 13 cases of early stage of gastric cancer and 87 cases of advanced gastric cancer, including 37 of 87 cases without regional lymphatic metastasis and 50 of 87 cases with regional lymphatic metastasis; meanwhile, 10 cases of normal gastric mucosa as control group. Expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3 and ICAM-1 were studied in all subjects investigated with two-step systemof immunohistochemistric Envision TM. Results 　(1) The normal gastric mucosa and tumor cells in early stage of and advanced gastric cancer could express VEGFR-3, the positive rates of expression were 30%,54% and 68% in the normal gastric mucosa, early stage of and advanced gastric cancer, respectively. There was a significant difference in expression of VEGFR23 between advanced gastric cancer and normal gastric mucosa samples ( P < 0. 01) . (2) There was a statistical correlation between expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in tumor cells in gastric cancer ( P< 0. 01) . The lymphatic micro vessel density (LMVD) was a significant difference between group of positive expression of VEGFR-3 and group of negative expression of VEGFR-3 in tumor cells of gastric cancer and advanced gastric cancer ( P < 1. 20 E-13, P < 1. 63 E-07. (3) With Logistic Regression Analysis, positive expression of VEGFR-3 in tumor cells of gastric cancer was close relationship with positive expression of VEGF-C in tumor cells of gastric cancer and positive expression of VEGFR-3 in lymphatic endothelial cells of gastric cancer and advanced gastric cancer. Conclusion 　Our results suggest that VEGFR-3 also expresses in the tumor cells in gastric cancer ; VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in the tumor cells of gastric cancer are more likely to induce the lymphangiogenesis.