Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed significantly reduced disease-free survival (median disease free survival = 10 months) in ESCC patients harbouring increased MEKK3 expression compared with the patients showing no nuclear/cytoplasmic MEKK3 immunostaining (p = 0.04, median DFS = 19 months), (Figure 3a). Here, MAP3K3 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.