Objective To retrospectively investigate the nutritional risk and nutritional support treatments hospitalized patients with gastric cancer in Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, from January 1, 1998 to June 30, 2011. Methods The questionnaire of NRS2002 was used to screen the nutritional risk in patients with gastric cancer, and investigate the nutritional support treatment in these patients. Results (1) A total of 320 patients with gastric cancer had nutritional risk. (2) The levels of serum albumin were not always lower in those patients with nutritional risk; the proportion of these patients with lower normal body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher than those patients without nutritional risk, while some patients with nutritional risk had normal body ma index (BMI); There was no statistical significant difference in nutritional risk between different genders (P = 0.149); There was statistical significant difference in nutritional risk between different TNM stages (P = 0.030), and between different ages (< 60 vs. ≥ = 60 years P = 0.009) .43% patients with nutritional risk were not given nutrition support treatment, but 10% patients without nutritional risk accepted nutrition support treatment. The main ways of nutrition support treatment were parenteral nutrition (PN), enteral nutrition (EN), or parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition (PN + EN). Conclusions (1) The hospitalized patients with gastric cancer have high incidence of nutritional risk and nutritional risk screening should be usually used to those patients. (2) The levels of serum protein and BMI can't predict nutritional risk. Aged and advanced stage patients have higher incidence of nutritional risk. (3) Nutrition support treatment remains to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]