As proliferation is essential for progression from normal cells to tumor, certain markers specific to proliferating cells may permit detection of premalignant lesions. Here, we aimed to evaluate the possible value of a proliferation marker, minichromosome maintenance 2 (MCM2), in the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, by analyzing the difference in MCM2 expression among normal mucosa, adenoma, and adenocarcinoma, and investigating the relationship of MCM2 expression in adenomas with clinicopathologic variables. Using immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-PCR, we observed that the expression of MCM2 protein was present on basal third to half of colonic crypts in normal mucosa, whereas throughout the epithelium in adenomas and adenocarcinomas, the expression of MCM2 mRNA in adenocarcinomas was significantly higher than in adenomas (P=0.001), whereas the difference between adenoma and normal mucosa was not significant (P=0.184); we also found that the expression of MCM2 mRNA tended to be increased in the adenomas with high-grade dysplasia, or in older patients, respectively, compared with those with low-grade dysplasia, and younger patients. These results suggested the potential value of MCM2 in early diagnosis of colorectal cancer.