Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor that is very complicated to treat. Due to the different stages of the tumor, the way and order of treatment varies greatly. For example, very early stage intramucosal esophageal cancer can be cured through gastrointestinal endoscopy alone. In contrast, mid- to late-stage esophageal cancer requires a complex treatment process combining surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although surgery is still the most basic means of esophageal cancer treatment in China, some patients still choose radical radiotherapy for the first time for various reasons. Fibrosis and scar tissue changes will occur in local tissues after radical radiotherapy, which will bring great suffering for re-operation. And the biggest problem of radiotherapy is that there may be local tumor tissue residue or recurrence. Once this occurs reconsideration of surgical treatment will be a great surgical challenge. Reoperation after radical radiotherapy is called salvage surgery and requires consideration of careful patient screening, careful operation, and strict postoperative management. Who are the patients who may benefit from salvage surgical treatment? There is no definite conclusion yet, but the following points are available for reference: 1. the tumor shows early to mid-stage manifestation before radiotherapy, especially the depth of tumor invasion does not exceed the esophageal muscular layer; 2. the tumor is a recurrence after complete remission, not residual; 3. the lesion is at a certain distance from the tracheobronchial system; 4. the tumor is located in the lower esophagus; if the lesion can be radically resected by surgery after radiotherapy, then the long-term effect is still satisfactory.