OBJECTIVE: Determine the clinical features and the survival of patients with gastric cancer invading the muscularis propia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of the patients with gastric cancer invading the muscularis propia, that had undergone surgical treatment at the National Cancer Institute (INEN) between 1950 and 1999. We considered age, sex, location of the tumor, regional lymph node metastases (N), distant metastases (M), TNM stage and survival. RESULTS: 202 patients had gastric cancer invading the muscularis propia, the mean age was 60.03 years, 105 (52%) were females, in 69% the neoplasm was in the antrum and in 22% in the body. We found regional lymph node metastases in 48% and distant metastases in 1%; 52.1% was in the IB TNM stage and 3.1% in the IV. The five year survival rate using Kaplan Meier was 66%, patients with N0, N1, N2 and N3 had 78%, 70%, 25% and 0% respectively.