Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	116025
Country	China

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Minireviews
Article Title	Tailoring therapy through response evaluation: A new era in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Peng Wang, Ding-Chao Liu, Wei-Ping Wang and Ke Hu
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number National Natural Science Foundation of China 62476287 National Key Research and Development Program of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China 2022YFC2402305 National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding 2025-PUMCH-A-028
Corresponding Author	Ke Hu, MD, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China. huke8000@126.com
Key Words	Rectal cancer; Neoadjuvant therapy; Response evaluation; Tumor restaging; Minireview
Core Tip	Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. Accurate post-treatment evaluation and restaging are crucial to guide subsequent treatment and prognosis prediction. While conventional methods such as imaging and endoscopy are widely used, their application is hampered by several limitations. Emerging technologies such as detection of circulating tumor DNA, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence offer new perspectives for cancer restaging. Novel therapies such as total neoadjuvant therapy and watch-and wait strategies require enhanced precision in response assessment to optimize individualized therapeutic decisions and improve prognosis in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Citation	Wang P, Liu DC, Wang WP, Hu K. Tailoring therapy through response evaluation: A new era in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; In press

Received	2025-11-06 07:03
Peer-Review Started	2025-11-06 07:03
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-02 07:35
Return for Revision	2025-12-02 07:35
Revised	2025-12-11 09:01
Publication Fee Transferred	2025-12-15 02:44
Second Decision by Editor	2026-01-08 02:47
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-08 08:02
Articles in Press	2026-01-08 08:02
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
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