Objective To study the diagnostic values of salivary and plasma microRNA‐21 for e early esophageal cancer . Methods Totally 112 patients with early esophageal cancer in Nanyang Municipal Central Hospital from February 2011 to Febru‐ary 2014 were selected as the observation group and contemporaneous 100 healthy people of physical examination were selected as the contract group .The salivary and plasma microRNA‐21 expression levels were compared between the two groups ;the diagnostic values of salivary versus plasma microRNA‐21 for the early esophageal cancer were also compared;the correlation between the miR‐NA‐21 level with the stage ,pathogenic type and differentiation of early esophageal cancer .Results The salivary microRNA‐21 level (6 .08 ± 2 .22) in the observation group and (0 .64 ± 0 .09) in the control group ,the difference had statistical significance (P<0 .05);the plasma microRNA‐21 level in the observation group was (20 .91 ± 10 .59) and (1 .69 ± 0 .17) in the constract group ,the difference had statistical significance (P<0 .05) .The area underROC curve(AUC) of salivary microRNA‐21 level was 0 .866 5 ,the sensitivity was 88 .24% ,the specificity was 69 .97% ;while AUC of plasma microRNA‐21 level was 0 .882 0 ,the sensitivity was 90 .20% ,the specificity was 70 .69% ,the differences in the diagnostic value had no statistical significance between them(P>0 .05) . The salivary and plasma microRNA‐21 levels had no obvious correlation with the stage and pathogenic type of early esophageal cancer(P>0 .05) ,while had strong correlation with the differentiation degree(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Salivary and plasma microR‐NA‐21 has higher diagnostic value in for early esophageal cancer ,and saliva may supplant plasma in the diagnosis of early esophage‐al cancer .