The strong positive rate of HAX-1 protein expression was significantly higher in ESCC samples (45.54%, 51/112) than that in non-neoplastic samples (0.00%, 0/112), and in ESCC samples with lymph node metastasis (71.11%, 32/45) than that in ESCC samples without lymph node metastasis (28.36%, 19/67) (P < 0.05). This evidence concerns the gene HAX1 and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.