Background & Objective: Studying the control of cell cycle, not only the characteristics of cancer can be understood thoroughly, but also the prognosis of cancer patients may be evaluated. Following the success of molecular targeted therapy, cellcycle checkpoints have become attractive targets. Researchers have demonstrated that the expressions of cell cycle regulatory proteins ki-67, cyclin A and p27 were independent prognostic factor in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study was to observe the characteristics of expression of cell cycle markers Ki-67, cyclin A, p27 in esophageal carcinoma and to analyze the relationship between proliferative activity of cancer cells and clinicopathological factors; and to investigated whether cell cycle regulatory proteins ki-67 cyclin A and p27 expression can predict the prognosis in patients with esophageal SCC. Methods: Eighty of surgically resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, were examined by immunohistochemistry utilizing commercialy available antibodies. Nuclear staining was regarded as a positive result. At least 50 fields in each tumor and non-tumor section were evaluated at a medium power (x200) to determine the proportion of tumor cells and the staining intensity of nuclei in the entire sections. Results: The ki-67, cyclin A and p27 positive immunostaining of in neclei of sequamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal mucosa (P<0.01 and P<0.05). Both Ki-67 and cyclin A expressions were related to histological grades of tumors (P<0.05) but not to the sex and age of the patients, tumor size, lymphatic invasion, location, or stage grouping. Lower ki-67 and cyclin A expression were detected in the long term survival group (3 yeas survival rate 57.2%, 53.3% respectively) compared with the short term survival group (3 yeas survival rate 18.6%, 22.2%, respectively, p[removed]