Table 1 Workup before treatment

•Karnofsky’s performance status score

•EORTC cancer quality of life scale QLQ-C30 (V3.0) and QLQ-OES18

•Height, body weight, and vital signs

•Blood, urine, and stool routine test. Serum biochemistry test, including bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, urea nitrogen, electrolyte, Lactate dehydrogenase, troponin I, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, lipase, and amylase

•Blood cytokines and lymphocyte subsets

•Electrocardiogram and echocardiography

•Electronic gastroscopy, esophageal tumor tissue biopsy, esophageal endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), esophageal radiography, cervical, and chest and upper abdomen CT with contrast; nuclear bone imaging

•Whole body positron emission tomography-CT and brain nuclear magnetic resonance imaging with contrast are optional