Our findings revealed that aprepitant decreases the protein expression level of NF-κB and the mRNA level of antiapoptotic NF-κB target genes like survivin and Bcl-2, suggesting that the apoptotic process in ESCC cell spheres is, at least partly, through the NF-κB-dependent pathway induced by aprepitant. Here, BIRC5 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.