Abstract: Objective: To evaluate three kinds of lymph node staging for gastric cancer. Methods:A total of 409 gastric cancer patients were divided into three groups according to the 4th and 5th edition of UICC TNM classification and the 13th edition of JGC TNM classification and their clinical data were reviewed. The 5- year survival rate in the three groups was compared and other clinical and patho-logical factors such as depth of infiltration were analyzed. Results: There was a significant difference in the 5- year survival rate between pN stages of the 4th and 5th edition of UICC TNM classification (P<0.01). No significant difference was found in the 5- year survival rate among different pN stages of the 13th edition of JGC TNM classification (P>0.05). Stratified analysis of each of the three kinds of pN staging showed that there was no significant difference in the 5- year survival rate among different pN stages of the 5th edition TNM classification. The pN staging of the 5th edition TNM classification was distinctly superior to the other two pN staging systems. The pN staging of the 5th edition TNM classifi-cation was highly correlated with the biological behavior of gastric cancer. Multivariable Cox model analysis showed that the pN staging of the 5th edition TNM classification was the primary independent index reflecting prognosis of gastric cancer. Conclusion: Compared with other pN staging systems, the pN staging of the 5th edition of UICC TNM classification not only correlates with prognosis, but it also reflects the biological behavior of gastric cancer. It is a superior index for optimizing treatment and judging prognosis of gastric cancer.