Even in patients in the Tis and T1 stages, VEGF-C can promote the conversion of primitive capillary lymphocytes in tumor tissue into capillary lymphatic vessels, promote the formation of lymphatic vessels, and provide an essential transmission path for lymph node metastasis of ESCC (Smyth et al. 2017). The gene discussed is VEGFC; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.