The current disclosure relates to therapeutic treatments and diagnostic methods for esophageal cancer based on the expression level of biomarker miRNAs. Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method of treating esophageal cancer (EC) in a patient, said method comprising: diagnosing the patient with esophageal cancer when the patient is determined to have an elevated or decreased level of expression of one or more miRNAs selected from mir- 15b, miR-17, mir-18a, mir-21, mir-23a, mir-24-2, mir-25, mir-27a, mir-93, mir-103, mir- 106b, mir-129-2, mir-139, mir-146b, mir-148a, mir-151, miR-155, mir-181a-1, mir-181a, mir-181b-1, mir-181b, mir-182, mir-183, mir-192, mir-194-1, mir-194-2, mir-196a-1, mir- 196a-2, mir-196b, mir-205, mir-215, mir-223, mir-224, mir-335, mir-338, mir-375, mir-421, mir-484, mir-505, mir-769, mir-944, mir-1468, mir-3648, and let-7i in a sample from a patient relative to the expression level of the one or more miRNAs in a control sample； and administering an effective amount of an esophageal treatment to the diagnosed patient.
