According to the latest GLOBOCAN data released in 2024, esophageal cancer ranks the 11th in global cancer incidence and represents the 7th leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. In 2022, there were approximately 511000 newly diagnosed cases of esophageal cancer and 445000 deaths globally. On February 28, 2025, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) published updated clinical practice guidelines for esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers (version 1.2025). This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the major diagnostic and therapeutic updates in the guidelines compared to the version 5.2024, encompassing key domains including screening stratification protocols, perioperative treatment optimization strategies, dynamic efficacy evaluation systems, molecular subtyping-guided therapeutic approaches, and immunotherapy expansion algorithms. The findings aim to provide references for esophageal cancer treatment in China.