Consistent with the data about colorectal cancer [47], bladder cancer [48], thyroid cancer [49] and lung cancer [50], we found down-regulated FHIT expression in gastric cancer, compared with gastric mucosa or dysplasia in the present study, suggesting that FHIT hypoexpression contributes to gastric carcinogenesis as a late event. The gene discussed is FHIT; the disease is lung cancer.