ALB and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Existing research has identified specific factors that directly influence the occurrence and progress of EC, including the preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio [10], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [11], and thoracic lymph node metastasis [12], among other factors [13–18]. However, currently, there are no methods that can accurately predict postoperative prognosis in patients with stage T1-3N0M0 ESCC.