A case–control study in a population from the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey was performed to evaluate the risk of gastric cancer development in patients with gastric cancer reporting gastric cancer or other organ cancer history in their parents. Gastric cancer and/or other organ cancer history in the parents were found in 215 of 1240 patients with gastric cancer versus 73 of 1240 controls (odds ratio (OR) 3.35,P<0.001). The frequency of gastric cancer history among the parents was significantly different between the patients and the controls (148 versus 25, respectively; OR 6.59,P<0.001). The frequency of other organ cancer history was not significantly different between the patients and the controls (63 versus 48, respectively; OR 1.33,P>0.05). The frequency of gastric cancer history was significantly higher than the frequency of other organ cancer history in the parents of the patients (OR 4.51,P<0.001). Gastric cancer history was significantly higher in first- to third-degree relatives of the patients reporting gastric cancer and/or other organ cancer history in their parents than in the controls (OR 14.72,P<0.001). Familial clustering of gastric cancer defined by the presence of at least four cancer cases in family members, including parents, was reported by 12% of the patients. Overall, the result of this study of gastric cancer and other organ cancer history in the parents of patients with gastric cancer may suggest a genetic susceptibility for gastric carcinoma. A high risk of gastric cancer occurred in subjects reporting a gastric cancer history in their parents, and there was a higher predisposition to gastric cancer compared with other organ cancer in relatives and a familial clustering of the disease.