Abstract: Objective To explore the value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods The levels of CRP in 138 cases of patients with respectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and healthy controls were tested before and after operation. The relationship between the level of CRP and the clinical and pathological parameters were analyzed. Results The CRP level in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was higher than that of healthy controls. The serum CRP levels in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were significantly related with advanced tumor TNM stage (P=0.001), lymph node status (P=0.001), but not related with patients' age, sex, tumor location and complications. The serum CRP levels in patients with no complications were decreased dramatically 2 weeks after the treatment of surgery and nearly to normal; however the level of the patients with serious postoperative complications was still higher than that of healthy controls. Conclusion The serum CRP is a reliable and sensitive index for the auxiliary diagnosis and treatment of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.