The lymphatic system is the main way of tumor metastasis and diffusion. Esophageal cancer is one of the typical cancers that are prone to metastasis through the lymphatic system. At present, an increasing number of studies show that the interaction between tumor cells and lymphatic endothelial cells is the first step in tumor lymphatic metastasis, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. This article reviews the role and changes of tumor-related lymphatic vessels and lymphatic endothelial cells in the process of tumor lymphatic metastasis, which lays a foundation for further study of the specific molecular mechanism of esophageal cancer lymphatic metastasis and provides a new treatment direction for esophageal cancer patients.