Histotopographic, morphological, and histochemical investigations of the state of the gastral system in 147 cases with gastric cancer of Ist--IVth state, occurrence of which could not be associated with chronic ulcer or polyp, justified the conclusion that in 9 cases (6.2%) extensive erosive, ulcerous-infiltrative and diffuse cancer developed against the background of preceeding hypertrophic glandular gastritis. Moreover, there was a likelihood that in 7 cases (4.6%) hypertrophic glandular gastritis played a role in the onset of gastric cancer. Chronic hypertrophic glandular gastritis should be looked upon as a pretumour disease of the stomach, a precancer condition in the broad sense of the word. The problems of interrelationship between Menetrier's disease and cancer of the stomach in the present article are not considered.