PURPOSE This paper studied the significance of the relationship between expression of CD44 adhesion molecules and tumor metastasis. METHODS The CD44 expression in metastatic adenocarcinomas 31 cases. Squa-mous-cell carcinomas 27 cases in nodes and primary nasopharyngeal carcinomas 39 cases with nodal metastasis were used. LSAB immunohistochemical staining of CD44 monoclonal antibody. RESULTS 1. The CD44 expression was found in nodal metastatic adenocarcinomas 18 cases (57%) and squamous-cell carcinomas 7 cases (26%). There was a notable difference between two groups of CD44 expression. But the lung squamous-cell carcinoma showed nodal metastasis in lung hilum higher than the adenocarcinoma. 2. The CD44 expression was present in primary nasopharyngeal carcinomas 11 cases (55%) and esophageal squamous-cell carcinomas 25 cases (64%) with nodal metastasis. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Based on our results and new references suggest that these is a close relationship between the CD44 expression and tumor meatstasis in numerous tumors. But these were not constant. CONCLUSION Therefore the CD44 expression can not be used as a univeral indicator in tumor metastasis.