Abstract: Objective To assess if Human papillomavirus type16 DNA are associated with human colorectal adenocarcinoma in clinico-pathologic characteristics and prognosis. Methods This paper used polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the detection of HPV type 16 DNA in paraffin-embeded tissue section of the patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma(50 cases),colorectal adenoma(38 cases)and normal colorectal tissue(20 cases).Amplified products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern blot. Results The results showed that HPV type 16 DNA sequences were found in 42%(21/50) of colorectal adenocarcinoma and 31.6%(12/38) of colorectal adenoma.But,normal colorectal mucosal samples gained negative results.Comparison of colorectal adenocarcinoma(or colorectal adenoma)with normal colorectal mucosal samples,positive rates of HPV type 16 DNA were significantly higher(P<0.05).Positive rates of HPV type 16 DNA in coloretal adenoma were not clearly higher than in colorectal adenocarcinoma.There was no correlation between HPV type 16 DNA and the age,sex,tumor location,histological differentiation,or tumour stage of colorectal tumour.but correlation between it and prognosis. Conclusion The results implicate HPV type 16 may be one of index of prognosis in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma.