We specifically selected 10 hallmark gene sets that showed highly significant differences (P < 0.001) or played crucial roles in tumor progression, presenting group comparisons in Fig. 4B. Our examination of the TCGA-ESCA dataset demonstrated significant enrichment of genes associated with various pathways, including hallmark apoptosis, PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, and NOTCH signaling pathways, among others. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and neoplasm.