The results of our study showed that CSS of group A was superior to that of group B. Interestingly, univariate analysis identified two types of clinical characteristics as significant prognostic factors for CSS in patients with esophageal cancer: tumor-related characteristics, such as lymph node metastasis, tumor length, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis and pTNM stage (I, II, and III), and SIR-related characteristics, such as the serum levels of ALB and CRP and the GPS (0/1, 2) [26]. Here, ALB is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.