Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be used for the treatment of esophageal cancer, and it has certain efficacy for patients with all stages of esophageal cancer, and for patients with middle and advanced stages, it can significantly improve their clinical symptoms and prolong the survival period. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), also known as light irradiation therapy (PRT) or photochemotherapy, the basic principle of PDT is to utilize the photochemical reaction of photosensitizers to carry out treatment, which is a kind of light-excited chemotherapy. The photosensitizer absorbs the energy of a photon and jumps to an excited state, and the excited photosensitizer transfers the energy to oxygen, generating a number of reactive oxygen molecules (Ros), which attack the cellular structure by oxidizing it. With the development of photosensitizer and laser generating system, PDT has achieved obvious efficacy in treating patients with various stages of esophageal cancer. It was firstly applied in the treatment of pre-cancerous lesions such as barrett’s esophagus and early esophageal cancer, and it can significantly improve clinical symptoms (such as esophageal obstruction) in patients with middle and late stage of esophageal cancer, prolonging their median survival period. It can prolong its median survival period. Meanwhile, PDT may also improve the anti-tumor immunity level of the body. However, it should be noted that the treatment of esophageal cancer needs to be individualized and integrated under the guidance of doctors according to the patient’s condition in order to achieve the maximum therapeutic effect.