We next analyzed the MR of the ZNF154 promoter in esophageal exfoliated cells (EECs) of 189 normal people and 75 ESCC patients, and detected significantly higher level of methylation (P < 0.001) in the ESCC patients (11.99%) versus the healthy controls (1.74%) (Fig. 1C). This evidence concerns the gene ZNF154 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.