Our result indicated that for the ESCC patients with CA19–9 < 37 U/ml, CEA < 5 μg/L or SCC-Ag < 1.5 ng/ml, the surgery plus postoperative chemotherapy group had a significantly longer OS than the surgery group alone (p < 0.05, Fig. 2), but this significant difference of OS between these two groups cannot be found in patients with CA19–9 ≥ 37 U/ml, CEA ≥ 5 μg/L or SCC-Ag ≥ 1.5 ng/ml (p > 0.05, Fig. 2). The gene discussed is CEACAM5; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.