Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the malignant tumors with the highest incidence and mortality worldwide. Reliable tumor markers of CRC are of prime importance in diagnosis, monitoring treatment and estimating prognosis. In addition to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the first and most widely used tumor marker, the research in CRC-associated markers had made rapid progress in recent years. In this paper, the authors present the recent progress in CRC-associated protein markers that are mainly derived from serum, tissue and stool.