Kaplan-Meier method analysis revealed that DEC1 expression levels were significantly correlated with the survival of ESCC patients after surgery (p = 0.025), with the five-year survival rate is 51.7% for patients of DEC1 negative or weakly positive expression versus 69.7% for patients of DEC1 strongly positive expression (Fig. 4). This evidence concerns the gene BHLHE40 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.