Gastric carcinogenesis is one of the most commonly occurring malignant neoplasms in China, and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to improving the quality of life and reducing mortality rates for patients with gastric cancer. Serumbased detection methods allow for a standardized and non-invasive approach to monitoring progression of gastric cancer. We therefore summarize four serum-based biomarkers (E-cadherin, Runx3, hGC-1 and 3 subtypes of VEGF family) for gastric cancer, categorized into groups of genes and proteins, and evaluate their individual values in detecting gastric cancer, surveillance and evaluating prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.