Gastric ulcer is positively, and duodenal ulcer negatively, associated with the risk of gastric cancer. The relationship between a common p53 polymorphism at codon 72 and gastric cancer risk in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer was examined in 397 Caucasian patients using PCR-RFLP. Noncardiac cancer patients had a distribution pattern of codon 72 genotypes similar to that of other non-cancer patient groups, though the frequency of the Pro/Pro genotype looks higher in duodenal ulcer. However, patients with cancer of the cardiac region had a significantly higher frequency of the Arg/Arg genotype than patients with chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and noncardiac cancer. There was no significant difference in the distribution patterns between gastric ulcer and noncardiac or cardiac cancer or between gastric and duodenal ulcer. These findings may be a reflection of differences in the interaction between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and local factors in the stomach.