The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between tumor necrosis factor-α (-α) and the development of gastric cancer, and to investigate whether it can be used as a biological marker for gastric cancer. In the current study, a new meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between -α gene polymorphisms and gastric cancer susceptibility. Subgroup analyses based on ethnicity, control population source and non-cardia cancers were also conducted. Summary odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. polymorphisms indicated a significant relationship with gastric cancer risk among a normal population [GA/AA vs. GG; 1.17 (1.10-1.23)]. In analysis stratified by ethnicity, displayed an association with gastric cancer risk in eastern populations [GA/AA vs. GG: 1.24 (1.02-1.50)], but not in western populations [GA/AA vs. GG: 0.96 (0.79-1.18)]. The overall ORs (95% CIs) for TNF-α 857, and were 1.13 (1.04-1.24), 0.94 (0.85-1.05) and 0.89 (0.78-1.02), respectively, under dominant genetic model comparison. Among the above three SNPs, only was robustly associated with gastric cancer inclination, and this association remained consistently robust when limited to non-cardia gastric cancers [GA/AA vs. GG: 1.16 (1.03-1.31)]. and genotypes were potential risk factors of statistical significance in gastric cancer, and indicated to be significantly associated with gastric cancer risk only in eastern populations. and were not significantly associated with gastric cancer risk.