Abnormal lipid metabolism plays an important role in the initiation and progression of tumors, as well as in their resistance to drug therapy and metastasis. Fatty acid metabolism is the main component of lipid metabolism, and some key enzymes in this metabolic process have become the focus of research. Here, the authors address four fatty acid metabolism-related enzymes (fatty acid synthetase, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, and CD36) in terms of their roles in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer as well as their potential significance in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation of gastric cancer