Objective To discuss the relationship between the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and clinicopathologic features, prognosis and outcome in breast cancer tissues. Methods A total of 76 patients with breast cancer admitted to the First Hospital of Fangshan District of Beijing from June 2018 to December 2020 were selected as breast cancer group. Another 76 patients with benign breast lesions admitted to the First Hospital of Fangshan District of Beijing were selected as the benign breast lesions group. Retrospective analysis were conducted. The positive expression of MMP-1 and MMP-2 in breast tissues of the two groups was compared. The relationship between the expression of MMP-1 and MMP-2 and the clinicopathologic features of breast cancer patients were analyzed. In addition, all breast cancer patients were divided into the death group (28 cases) and the survival group (48 cases) according to the difference in survival status, and the differences in the expression of MMP-1 and MMP-2 between the two groups were analyzed. Results The expression rates of MMP-1 and MMP-2 in breast tissue of breast cancer group were higher than those of benign breast lesions group ( P<0.05). The positive rate of MMP-1 expression in patients in clinical stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ , menopause, lymph node metastasis and estrogen receptor (ER) - positive breast cancer was higher than that in patients in clinical stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ, premenopause, no lymph node metastasis and ER- negative breast cancer (P<0.05). The positive rate of MMP-2 expression in patients with clinical stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ , menopause, lymph node metastasis and ERpositive breast cancer was higher than that in patients with clinical stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ , premenopause, no lymph node metastasis and ER-negative breast cancer (P<0.05). The positive rates of MMP-1 and MMP-2 expression in the death group were higher than those in the survival group (P<0.05). Conclusion There are abnormally high expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-2 in breast cancer tissues, and they are involved in the occurrence, development, metastasis and other processes of breast cancer, which are closely related to the prognosis of patients.