Objective To show the changes of coagulation function in patients with esophageal carcinoma, and to explore the clinical significance of the changes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 202 patients(as a trial group, 114 males, 88 females, aged from 36 to 69 years, median age at 49 years) with esophageal carcinoma confirmed by pathological examination in Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2010 through May 2014. The prothrombin time (PT), prothrombin time activity (PTA), international activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), D-Dimer, and platelet count, pathological type, TNM stage, gender were recorded. Eighty patients (38 males, 42 females, with aged of 39 to 71 years, median age of 51 years) without cancer were selected as a control group. Results Compared with the control group, coagulation parameters including PT, APTT, PLT, Fib, TT, D-Dimer were statistically higher in the trial group (P<0.05). Higher Fib level was found in the squamous cell esophageal carcinoma patients than adenocarcinoma cell esophageal carcinoma patients (P<0.05). Fib increased significantly (P<0.05) and APTT shorten (P<0.05) in the patients at stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ compared with those of patients at stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ. Fib and D-Dimer levels increased (P<0.05) in N1-3 patients compared with those of N0 patients. There was no statistical difference in gender or age (P>0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion Most of the patients with esophageal carcinoma have abnormal changes of coagulation and fibrinolysis system. Patients with squamous subtype and/or lymph node metastasis at advanced stages of esophageal carcinoma are prone to thrombophilia. So monitoring the coagulation parameters of cancer patients can be used as an effective measure to prevent blood clot.