Objective To systematically summarize the management plan of preoperative pre‑rehabilitation management for esophageal cancer and form a consensus, in order to provide reference for medical personnel to carry out clinical practice of preoperative pre‑rehabilitation for esophageal cancer.

Methods A questionnaire was formed through systematic review of domestic and foreign literature, and two rounds of Delphi consultation were conducted by experts related to esophageal cancer in domestic third‑class A hospitals who were organized by Specialized Committee on Integrated Care for Esophageal Cancer of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association to formulate the Expert consensus on preoperative rehabilitation of patients with esophageal cancer (2026 edition).

Results A total of 18 domestic and foreign literatures were included, and expert consensus was reached from three aspects of pre‑rehabilitation: screening, assessment and intervention.

Conclusion Based on existing evidence and combined with clinical experts′ opinions, the management plan of pre‑rehabilitation before esophageal cancer surgery was integrated to provide reference for clinical pre‑rehabilitation.