Publication Name	World Journal of Gastroenterology
Manuscript ID	120225
Country	Spain

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Correspondence
Article Title	Letter to the Editor: Beyond ypN status: Lymph node regression grade refines risk stratification in rectal cancer
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Esther Jimenez Jimenez, Sigfredo E Romero-Zoghbi, Fernando López-Campos and Felipe Couñago
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Felipe Couñago, Department of Radiation Oncology, Genesis Care-San Francisco de Asís University Hospital, Calle de Joaquín Costa, 28, Madrid 28002, Spain. fcounago@gmail.com
Key Words	Lymph node regression; Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; Pathologic nodal status; Rectal cancer; Risk stratification; Total mesorectal excision; Tumor regression grade
Core Tip	Lymph node regression grade offers independent and clinically meaningful prognostic information after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer that is not adequately captured by assessment of primary tumor regression alone. Evaluating nodal treatment response can enhance postoperative risk stratification beyond conventional pathological staging, particularly in patients with residual nodal disease, a subgroup in which therapeutic decision-making remains especially complex. Routine incorporation of lymph node response into standardized pathological reporting may support more precise, individualized adjuvant treatment strategies. However, harmonized histopathological criteria and robust prospective validation are required before widespread clinical implementation.
Citation	Jimenez Jimenez E, Romero-Zoghbi SE, López-Campos F, Couñago F. Letter to the Editor: Beyond ypN status: Lymph node regression grade refines risk stratification in rectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2026; In press

Received	2026-02-24 06:10
Peer-Review Started	2026-02-24 06:24
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-28 09:32
Return for Revision	2026-02-28 09:32
Revised	2026-03-05 21:21
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-04-13 02:42
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-04-13 09:11
Articles in Press	2026-04-13 09:11
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1007-9327 (print) and 2219-2840 (online)
Open Access	This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Copyright	©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
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