食管癌位于世界常见恶性肿瘤的第8位,其治疗模式的选择基于美国癌症联合委员会(AJCC)制定的食管癌TNM分期系统[1-3]。虽然目前以手术为主的化放疗辅助综合治疗使食管癌患者的预后有了明显的改善,但总体患者的1年生存率仅为75%左右[4],术后5年生存率仅为20%~30%[5],仍有许多患者死于肿瘤的局部复发和远处转移[6-7]。目前研究证实,食管癌患者的不良预后与肿瘤微转移有关[8-9]。所谓肿瘤微转移(micrometastasis)是指非血液系统恶性肿瘤在发展过程中,播散并存在于 Esophageal cancer is located in the world’s eighth most common malignant tumor, the choice of treatment model based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) developed esophageal TNM staging system [1-3]. Although the surgery-based chemoradiotherapy combined with comprehensive treatment of patients with esophageal cancer prognosis has been significantly improved, but the overall 1-year survival rate of patients was only 75% [4], 5-year survival rate was only 20 % ~ 30% [5], there are still many patients died of tumor local recurrence and distant metastasis [6-7]. The current study confirmed that poor prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer and micrometastasis [8-9]. The so-called tumor micrometastasis (micrometastasis) refers to non-hematological malignancies in the development process, spread and exist in