Polyamines are a group of small aliphatic polycations derived from amino acids and are present in all living organisms. The ubiquity of polyamines indicates their indispensable role in key cellular processes, such as cell growth,8 proliferation,9 apoptosis10, and gene expression.11 Aberrant accumulation of polyamines is associated with various pathological consequences, including cancer.11 Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway in mammals and its intracellular concentration is tightly controlled. ODC activity is induced in response to cell growth stimuli, and is highly expressed in diseases such as inflammation and cancer. ODC is considered to be a potential oncogene because its over-expression can transform mammalian cell lines,12 indicating that ODC is not only a biomarker for cancer but also a potential target for cancer therapy. Anti-cancer research, including bench work and clinical research, targeting ODC has yielded promising results.13, 14 However, the role of ODC in ESCC development is still unclear. The Wnt signaling pathway is activated in most ESCC cases15 and the Myc loci comprise the most significant regions of amplification.16 Myc has been implicated as a reasonable indicator of the accumulation of various activated and inactivated genes involved in the development of ESCC,17 suggesting Myc expression acts as a driver event of ESCC. As a physiological transcriptional target of c-Myc,18 ODC reportedly plays an important role in ESCC development and progression.