The review presents the data on clinical characteristics of two different histological types of gastric cancer and molecular factors of pathogenesis including Helicobacter pylori infection, inherited and somatic mutations and other genetic disturbances. The analysis of relation of the markers of proliferation, apoptosis, growth factors and regulators of intercellular interactions to the tumor progression was carried out. The results of proteomic studies on the search for diagnostic markers and prognosis of intestinal and diffuse types of gastric cancer were presented.