Zhang et al. found in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma that STAT1β was positively correlated with total STAT1 expression, and that the STAT1β/α heterodimer could block the proteasome-mediated degradation of STAT1α, thereby amplifying the classical signaling pathway induced by IFN-γ [27]. This evidence concerns the gene IFNG and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.