Objective To explore the expression and significance of HDGF and ADAM9 in esophageal cancer.Methods HDGF and ADAM9 expression in 113 patients with esophageal cancer (78 males and 35 females) with ages ranging from 28 to 87 years,averaged (61.2 ± 8.6) years,were analyzed by SP immunohistoehemical staining.Results The positive rates of HDGF and ADAM9 in esophageal cancer (78.8％ and 68.1％ respectively) were significantly higher than those in normal tissue(all were 30％).ADAM expressions were not correlated with age,sex,tissue types,lymph nodes metastasis,location and tumor size (P ＞ 0.05) ;the positive expression rate of HDGF and ADAM9 was related to differentiation,PT stages,and 5-year survival rate (P ＜0.05).HDGF was correlated with PT stage.Conclusion The expressions of HDGF and ADAM9 in esophageal cancer tissues were more higher than normal esophageal tissues,this means they could promote the development of tumor cells transformation,multiple and moving,and may be an useful tool for providing information about the targeted therapy and prognosis.