Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	123926
DOI	10.4251/wjgo.123926
Country	Russia

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Correspondence
Article Title	Letter to the Editor: Lymph node regression grade in rectal cancer: Comments on prognostic utility and unresolved questions
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Olga V Smirnova, Aleksander A Sinyakov and Edward V Kasparov
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Olga V Smirnova, Professor, Laboratory of Clinical Pathophysiology, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Separate Subdivision Research Institute for Medical Problems of the North, Partizana Zheleznyaka Street 3G, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia. ovsmirnova71@mail.ru
Key Words	Colorectal cancer; Lymph node regression grade; Neoadjuvant therapy; Prognostic markers; Oxidative stress; Tumor regression
Core Tip	The lymph node regression grade system by Shi et al advances post-neoadjuvant assessment of rectal cancer and enables prognostic stratification in ypN+ patients. However, its clinical use is limited by the difficulty of distinguishing fibrosis from sterilized metastasis vs uninvolved node architecture. Integrating cytokeratin immunohistochemistry, molecular profiling of treatment response, and oxidative stress biomarkers could improve lymph node regression grade objectivity and reproducibility. Such a refined tool may help tailor adjuvant chemotherapy decisions, supporting more personalized treatment strategies for rectal cancer patients.
Citation	Smirnova OV, Sinyakov AA, Kasparov EV. Letter to the Editor: Lymph node regression grade in rectal cancer: Comments on prognostic utility and unresolved questions. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.4251/wjgo.123926
PDF	123926-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-06-04 02:00
Peer-Review Started	2026-06-04 02:01
First Decision by Editorial Office Director
Return for Revision	2026-07-23 10:10
Revised	2026-07-27 02:34
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-08-05 03:18
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-08-05 10:50
Articles in Press	2026-08-05 10:50
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
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