The histological samples of stomach with gastric cancer diagnosis were evaluated and classified according to Lauren's criteria. The samples were obtained of 148 patients attended at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú, between January 1988 and December 1995. According to this classification 99 patients (67%) were from the intestinal type and 40 (27%) from the diffuse type. A group of nine patients (6%) was considered as mixed and unclassified. The diffuse type was more frequent in females and the intestinal type for males. We demonstrated with statistical validity that the diffuse type is more frequent in the youngest and the intestinal type in the oldest. In this study there was no significative statistical difference for the localization according the histologic type. However in the three groups the simultaneous involvement of two gastric regions is very frequent, mainly in pyloric antrum and body of the stomach.