ObjectiveTo investigate the values of serum CEA and CA19-9 in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis and prognosis for gastric cancer. MethodsPreoperative serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 were measured by electrochemiluminescence assay in 136 patients with gastric cancer. The relationships of serum CEA level, CA19-9 level to clinicopathologic features, postoperative recurrence and metastasis, and prognosis of gastric cancer were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method (log-rank test) was used to survival analysis. ResultsThere were 67 patients with postoperative recurrence and metastasis in 136 patients with gastric cancer. The positive rate was 48.5% (66/136) for CEA and 43.4% (59/136) for CA19-9. There was a significant correlation between CEA level and T stage, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, or vascular invasion (P=0.011, P=0.018, P=0.021, P=0.024). There was a significant correlation between CA19-9 level and T stage or lymph node metastasis (P=0.018, P=0.045). The rate of postoperative recurrence and metastasis was 60.6% (40/66) in positive CEA, 61.0% (36/59) in positive CA19-9, 38.6% (27/70) in negative CEA, and 40.3% (31/77) in negative CA19-9, respectively. The rate of postoperative recurrence and metastasis in the positive CEA or positive CA19-9 was significantly higher than those in the negative CEA or negative CA19-9 (P=0.010, P=0.016). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with positive CEA or positive CA19-9 had worse survival than those with negative CEA or CA19-9 (P=0.003, P=0.007). ConclusionsCEA and CA19-9 have important values in detecting recurrence and metastasis, predicting patient survival after gastric cancer surgery. Combined analysis of these markers is considered to be helpful for improving the prediction of the postoperative recurrence and metastasis and prognosis of gastric cancer.