Parathyroid hormone‐related peptide (PTHrP) is produced by various neoplasms. It has been suggested that it acts as a cytokine for cell proliferation and tumour progression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PTHrP expression in gastric cancers by immunohistochemistry. PTHrP was expressed in 71 of 92 (77·2 per cent) gastric adenocarcinomas without humoral hypercalcaemia. In contrast, one case (5 per cent) out of 20 adenomas and none of the background non‐neoplastic epithelium showed PTHrP immunoreactivity. In carcinomas, PTHrP immunoreactivity was higher in moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas (21/22; 95·5 per cent) and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas (34/34; 100 per cent) than in well‐differentiated adenocarcinomas (10/23; 43 per cent). Furthermore, PTHrP expression was more intense in the deeply invasive portions than in the mucosal carcinomas. High percentages of metastatic tumour cells in regional lymph nodes were immunopositive. PTHrP mRNA expression was confirmed by in situ hybridization in gastric adenocarcinomas. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) studies of normal gastric mucosa and four human gastric cancer cell lines detected PTHrP transcription in NUGC‐1 (poorly differentiated) and NUGC‐3 (poorly differentiated) but not in normal gastric mucosa, MKN‐1 (well differentiated), and KATO‐III (signet ring cell). These findings suggest that overexpression of PTHrP may be involved in the malignant transformation and progression of gastric carcinomas. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.