Zhang F, et al. – In order to further validate the prognostic value of preoperative plasma hyperfibrinogenemia and evaluate the biological role of fibrinogen, as well as the underlying mechanism in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), this study was conducted. Data emphasised preoperative plasma hyperfibrinogenemia as an independent predictor of unfavorable survival in ESCC. In addition, by inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the p–AKT/p–mTOR pathway, fibrinogen seemed to promote cell motility.