【Abstract】ObjectiveTo investigate whether abnormal expression of β-catenin and high expression of c-myc have played a possible role in hilar cholangiocarcinoma carcinogenesis.MethodsBy using immunohitochemical staining (SP method), the authors detected the expression of β-catenin and c-myc in 42 paraffin-embedded samples of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and 10 benign bile duct disease tissue, and then analyzed the relationship of them with clinical data. Resultsβ-catenin was normally expressed in 10 benign bile duct disease tissue, while expression of c-myc was negtive. In hilar cholangiocarcinoma tissue, the positive expression rate of β-catenin （71.4%） was significantly correlated to the lymphoid node metastasis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (χ2=4.75，P＜0.05),but was not statistically correlated to the tumor size，the extent of differentiation and infiltration (χ2=3.35，3.45，4.32，Pgt;0.05); the expression rate of c-myc (76.2%) was correlated with the extent of differentiation(χ2=4.87, P＜0.05),but not with the size, infiltration, lymphoid metastasis（χ2= 3.47，4.12，2.76， Pgt;0.05). The abnormal expression of β-catenin had relevance to the high expression of c-myc with hilar cholangiocarcinoma （r=0.324,P＜0.01）. ConclusionThe expression of beta-catenin and c-myc is significantly altered in hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and correlate with biological features of cholangiocarcinoma.The abnormal expression of beta-catenin is one of the mechanisms for the spread of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.