Abstract: Objective : To investigate the relations between the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in stage and prognosis in colorectal cancer. W e hope to offer the foundation of the treatments in colorectal cancer in order to determine the prognoses of patients more accurately and look for related gene therapies in molecular level. Methods : Using the SP method ol immunohistochemistry to detect MMP-9 and TIMP-1 of 70 samples. Results : There was the significantly positive correlation between the expression of M M P - 9 and TIMP-1 in colorectal cancer (r =0.397, P<0.01). The expression of positive MMP-9 had the significant differences in Dukes stages, the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis of colorectal cancer (P<0.05, P<0.01). The expression of positive TIMP-1 existed the significant differences in different types of histology and different degrees of differentiation for colorectal cancer (P<0.05). The expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 existed the significant differences on the different age of patients with colorectal cancer (P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate was lower in positive group of MMP -9 expression than in negative group (P<0.05). conclusions : The expression of MMP-9 was significantly higher in Dukes C stage than in Dukes A or B stage. The deeper the tumor invaded into tissue, the higher the MMP- 9 expressed. The expression of positive MMP -9 was significantly higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer. The positive rate of TIMP-1 was significantly higher in tumor tissue with lower malignancy or higher differenti-ation. ihere were worse prognoses in patients with positive expression of MMP-9. MMP-9 could predict the invasion and metastasis and could be as the prognostic independent indicator for colorectal cancer.