食管鳞状细胞癌（ESCC）是全球癌症相关死亡的第六大原因，在其中一半以上病例发生在中国。放射治疗（RT）被广泛应用于ESCC的治疗。然而，放射诱导的DNA损伤反应（DDR）可以促进细胞因子和趋化因子的释放，并引发炎症反应和肿瘤微环境（TME）的变化，从而抑制免疫功能并引发ESCC的侵袭和转移。放射抗性是癌症进展和死亡的主要原因，与异质性有关。因此，更好地了解放射抗性机制可能产生更多的逆转策略，以提高ESCC患者的治愈率和生存期。我们主要总结了放射抗性的可能机制，以揭示ESCC治疗的新靶点。然后，我们总结和比较了当前的逆转放射抗性策略。© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., 垃圾Springer Nature的一部分。

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with more than half of them occurred in China. Radiotherapy (RT) has been widely used for treating ESCC. However, radiation-induced DNA damage response (DDR) can promote the release of cytokines and chemokines, and triggers inflammatory reactions and changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby inhibiting the immune function and causing the invasion and metastasis of ESCC. Radioresistance is the major cause of disease progression and mortality in cancer, and it is associated with heterogeneity. Therefore, a better understanding of the radioresistance mechanisms may generate more reversal strategies to improve the cure rates and survival periods of ESCC patients. We mainly summarized the possible mechanisms of radioresistance in order to reveal new targets for ESCC therapy. Then we summarized and compared the current strategies to reverse radioresistance.© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.