Fig. 1

Image findings before intervention and macroscopic and microscopic findings of resected specimen. a The endoscopic finding of primary esophageal cancer. Type 3 tumor with esophageal stenosis was located in the lower thoracic esophagus. b The preoperative CT image. The arrow indicates neoplastic lesion of the esophagus. c The resection specimen. The arrow indicates neoplastic lesion. d Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the resected specimen. The arrowheads indicate viable cancer cells within the mucosa of the esophagus