ObjectiveTo study the preoperative evaluation value of serum tumor markers (CA72-4, CEA, CA199 and CA125) in patients with gastric cancer. MethodsSerum levels of tumor markers (CA72-4, CEA, CA199 and CA125) and clinical pathological data of 70 patients with gastric cancer before operation who underwent surgical treatment in the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University in June 2013 to 2014 June were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsThere were some connection between the concentration of the serum CA72-4 and the tumor diameter, TNM staging, invasion depth, and the number of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), between CA199 and tumor size, TNM staging, and invasion depth (P < 0.05), between CEA, CA125 and tumor diameter, TNM staging and distant metastasis (P < 0.05), but the CA72-4, CA72-4, CEA and CA125 had nothing to do with patient' age and gender. ConclusionThe serum tumor markers of CA724, CEA, CA199, and CA125 have clinical application value in preoperative evaluation of gastric cancer.