Initially, we investigated the differential expression of CRGs in ESCC patients from the TCGA-ESCC cohort by using the “ConsensusClusterPlus” R package for consensus clustering analysis based on 12 CRGs (ATP7B, CDKN2A, DLAT, DLD, FDX1, GLS, LIAS, LIPT1, MTF1, PDHA1, PDHB, SLC31A1). Here, DLD is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.