A total of 200 surgically resected esophageal carcinomas were reviewed and 50 cases (25.0%) were identified as "superficial esophageal carcinoma" (depth of invasion limited to mucosa or submucosa). The age, sex, location, tumor size, histological features, and prognosis were studied in 49 of these cases. The carcinomas were classified into four histological groups: 1) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 2) squamous cell carcinoma with basaloid features and expansive growth (BE), 3) squamous cell carcinoma partially mixed with the basaloid type (mixed), and 4) other types of tumors. There were 25 cases (51.0%) of SCC, 14 BE cases (28.6%), 8 mixed cases (16.3%), and 2 (4.1%) other tumors (malignant melanoma, adenoacanthoma). Among 133 advanced cancers (invasion into and beyond the muscularis propria), there were 123 cases (92.4%) of SCC, 9 (6.8%) mixed cases, and one (0.8%) adenoacanthoma. No BE lesions were identified. In superficial carcinoma there was a statistically significant difference between BE and mixed carcinoma by the chi-square test (p less than 0.05) with regard to the maximum longitudinal diameter. None of the BE carcinoma showed nodal metastasis, while 3 (12.0%) of SCC and 5 (62.5%) of mixed lesions had nodal metastases. The difference in cumulative survival rate between BE and mixed carcinoma was statistically significant by the Z and Wilcoxon tests (p less than 0.05). We conclude that the BE type of superficial esophageal carcinoma had a better prognosis, and should be separated from the ordinary SCC with infiltrative growth from a clinicopathological view point.