Objective To investigate the expression and influence to tumor angiogenesis of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in esophageal carcinoma. Methods The expression of uPA and VEGF in the tissue of normal (18 cases) and esophageal carcinoma (68 cases) were evaluated by SP immunohistochemistry, CD34 was detected as marking tumor microvessel density (MVD). uPA and VEGF expression were assessed as to the pathologically biological features of esophageal cancer and to the influence to tumor angiogenesis. Results The positive rates of uPA were 27.8 % (5/18) and 70.6 % (48/68) in the tissue of normal and esophageal carcinoma, respectively, there was significant difference in two tissues (x2 =11.63, P <0.05). The positive rates of VEGF were 22.2 % (4/18)and 63.2 % (43/68) in the tissue of normal and esophageal carcinoma, respectively, there was significant difference in two eissues (x2 =9.78, P <0.05). The expressions of uPA and VEGF in esophageal carcinoma were uniformity (x2 =9.72, P <0.05). The mean of MVD was 42.38±11.62. The positive rates of uPA and VEGF were higher in the high MVD group than those in the low MVD group (x2 =6.13, P <0.05, x2 =10.12, P <0.05,respectively). uPA and VEGF expressions in malignant tumors weren' t associated with age, gender and pathological types (P >0.05), but associated with clinical stage, histologic grading and lymph node metastasis (P <0.05). Conclusion Rising expression levels of uPA and VEGF are common in esophageal carcinoma. Altered expression of uPA and VEGF may contribute to tumor angiogenesis of esophageal carcinoma, whose overexpression indicate worse prognosis.