Objective  To analyze the effects of the clinical applications of vaccine for esophageal cancer to provide treatment basis.

  Methods  Tumor-soluble antigen was extracted from clinical samples of esophageal cancer tissue. Vaccine for esophageal cancer was prepared using antigen and superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC). One group of patients with esophageal cancer was treated with vaccine after surgery (treatment group). Another group of patients with esophageal cancer was treated using routine methods (control group). After five years, the patients were followed up to analyze survival.

  Results  After five years of follow up, the survival rates of treatment and control groups were 173/328 (49.71%) and 67/326 (20.55%), respectively. Survival rates significantly differed between the two groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the survival rates of the female patients were higher than those of the male patients (P < 0.05). In the treatment group, the survival rates of patients with low-differentiation cancer were higher than those of patients with high-differentiation cancer (P < 0.05). In the control group, the survival rates of patients with low-differentiation cancer were lower than those of patients with high-differentiation cancer (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Tumor vaccine prepared with esophageal cancer antigen and superantigen SEC could increase the survival rate of patients with esophageal cancer, particularly female patients and those with low-differentiation cancer.