Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Early symptoms are atypical and easy to ignore. Most of the patients are diagnosed with progressive dysphagia, but this is the more advanced manifestation of the disease. The key to cure esophageal cancer lies in the early diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Treatment methods include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, endoscopic treatment and comprehensive treatment. The surgical resection rate of esophageal cancer in China has reached 80%-90%, and the 5-year survival rate after surgery has reached more than 30%, while early resection can often achieve curative effect. Radiotherapy is mainly used for upper segment esophageal cancer which is difficult to be resected and middle and lower segment esophageal cancer which cannot be resected. The effect of radiotherapy for upper esophageal cancer is no less than that of surgery, so radiotherapy is preferred. Radiotherapy before surgery can shrink the cancer mass and improve the resection rate and survival rate. Comprehensive treatment and endoscopic intervention can reduce distant metastasis, improve life quality and prolong survival. Early stage esophageal cancer has good prognosis for timely radical treatment, and the 5-year survival rate of surgical resection is more than 90%. Patients with untreated esophageal cancer after the appearance of symptoms usually die within one year. Esophageal cancer located in the upper esophagus, with lesion length over 5cm, invading the esophageal muscle layer, poorly differentiated cancer cells and metastasis, has poor prognosis.