In agreement with the results of transformed-esophageal cells treated with EGFR inhibitors, the growth of epithelial-like ESCC cells (TE-1, TE-5, TE-11, and TE-11R) was significantly inhibited by treatment with erlotinib or cetuximab, but that of mesenchymal-like ESCC cells (TE-8 and HCE-4) was not affected (Fig. 3b). This evidence concerns the gene EGFR and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.