Li WY, et al. - In this meta-analysis of prospective observational studies, researchers examined and compared the impact of sex on gastric cancer risk associated with smoking, a well-established risk factor for the incidence of gastric cancer. To identify studies published from inception to December 2018, a systemic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases were conducted. The study sample consisted of 3,381,345 participants. Findings suggested that current smoking could have a more significant effect on men's risk of gastric cancer than women, while no gender differences were found for the association of former smokers with the risk of gastric cancer. Overall, this investigation showed a potential association of sex difference between current smokers and the risk of gastric cancer. The sex differential in smokers can provide important clues for the etiology of gastric cancers and further studies should be examined.