We then expanded the serum sampling to 174 ESCC patients and 189 normal controls to verify the clinical value of the eight candidate biomarkers, IL‐2, IL‐5, IP‐10, IL‐8, eotaxin, TNF‐α, HGF, and MIP‐1b. The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.