In the multivariate analysis, we found that a history of diabetes (OR=1.604, P=0.029, 95% CI=1.049–2.454), a history of coronary heart disease (OR=1.592, P=0.046, 95% CI=1.008–2.515), DLCO (OR=0.916, P=0.024, 95% CI=0.849–0.988), and ALB level (OR=0.955, P=0.007, 95% CI=0.924–0.987) independently influenced the incidence of grade III or higher postoperative complications in patients with esophageal cancer (Table 4). The gene discussed is ALB; the disease is diabetes mellitus.