Results showed the similar clinical significance of p53 expression in each of the two major histological types (pure ESCC cohorts: RR = 1.32, 95 % CI: 1.10–1.57, P = 0.002; pure EAC cohorts: RR = 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.05–2.47, P = 0.03). Here, TP53 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.