DCLK1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: To date, widespread DCLK1 upregulation has been reported across various solid malignancies, including colorectal cancer [15–17], breast cancer [18, 19], pancreatic cancer [20, 21], renal cancer [22, 23], as well as hepatocellular carcinoma [24] and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma [25].