On the other hand, NOTCH pathway (NOTCH3), Hedgehog pathway (GLI3), WNT pathway (SFRP2, WNT5A, FZD6/10) were upregulated characteristically in ESCC (Fig. 4), which was consistent with the alterations observed in previous study [12]. Here, WNT5A is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.