The level of HAX-1 mRNA (Wald χ2 = 55.641, P = 0.000) and protein (Wald χ2 = 0.7.929, P = 0.005) were risk factors of survival, but lymph node metastasis (Wald χ2 = 0.506, P = 0.477) was not a risk factor of survival in the patients with ESCC. The gene discussed is HAX1; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.