Here, we found that PURα participates in the formation of cytoplasmic stress granules and that the expression level of cytoplasmic PURα was significantly increased in ESCC tissues compared to nontumorous tissues and that ESCC patients with high expression levels of cytoplasmic PURα had a lower survival rate than those with low expression levels. The gene discussed is PURA; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.