So far, clinical trials have reported that immune checkpoint inhibitors, like programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors or programmed death (PD-1) inhibitors, could prolong the median progression-free survival (PFS) time and even median overall survival (OS) time in advanced ESCC patients compared with chemotherapy (8–13). The gene discussed is CD274; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.