Cyclin D1 is a G1 cyclin that controls the transition of the cell cycle from G1 phase to S phase, and its gene is located on chromosome 11q13. We evaluated the expression of cyclin D1 mRNA in surgically resected specimens of gastric and colorectal cancers using quantitative RT-PCR. In this method, cDNA derived from cyclin D1 mRNA was amplified in a tube together with an internal control. The expression of cyclin D1 mRNA was high in 8 of 36 gastric cancer tissues (22%) and 9 of 27 (33%) colorectal cancer tissues, compared to normal mucosal tissues. In gastric cancers, the rate of cyclin D1 mRNA expression (an index of the density of DNA bands) was significantly higher in patients with tumors invading beyond the submucosal layer, regional lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels (i.e., patients with stage III or IV). In colorectal cancers, the rate of cyclin D1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in patients with venous invasion. Moreover, in patients with colorectal cancer, the survival rate of high-expression group was significantly lower than in low-expression group. Our results suggested that overexpression of cyclin D1 mRNA reflected the severity of gastric cancer and poor prognosis of colorectal cancer.