BACKGROUND To establish a primary human gastric cancer cell line. METHODS Fresh gastric cancer tissue samples were separated into a cell suspension, and DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% foetal bovine serum was used for primary culture and subculture. The morphology of the cells was observed under a light microscope, and the cell growth curve was plotted. A soft agar colony formation assay was used to detect the colony formation ability of the cell line. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect cytokeratin, vimentin and Ki-67, the chromosome G banding method was used to analyse the karyotype of the cells, and the tumourigenic ability of the cells was detected by subcutaneous inoculation of BALB/C nude mice. RESULTS We established a gastric cancer cell line from a 68-year-old male patient. This gastric cancer cell line was named XGC-1 and had a doubling time of approximately 48 h. The cell line displayed strong colony formation ability and tumourigenicity in BALB/C nude mice and had complicated chromosomal abnormalities. When nutrients were insufficient, the cells shed and floated in the medium, but adherent growth was observed in nutrient-rich conditions. CONCLUSIONS The XGC-1 cell line will be useful for future studies of gastric cancer development, progression, metastasis and therapy.