EMX2 expression was correlated with colony formation capacity in soft agar but not with cell proliferation capacity and expressions of genes related to cell proliferation, immortalization, and cancer stem cells, suggesting that the poor prognosis of ESCC patients with high EMX2 expression cannot be explained by rapid growth, immortalization, or existence of cancer stem cells, but something in cancer stemness phenotype. Here, EMX2 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.