HAX1 and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes: COX-univariate regression analysis indicated that lymph node metastasis (Wald χ2 = 17.967, P = 0.000), the expression level of HAX-1 mRNA (Wald χ2 = 91.507, P = 0.000) and the expression level of HAX-1 protein (Wald χ2 = 54.714, P = 0.000) were risk factors of survival in the patients with ESCC; but sex (Wald χ2 = 2.334, P = 0.127) and age (P = 0.711) were not risk factors of survival.