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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2026; 32(29): 116126
Published online Aug 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.116126
Published online Aug 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.116126
Letter to the Editor: From colorectal to pan-gastrointestinal cancer: Unlocking the therapeutic potential of DNA polymerase epsilon mutations
Ling-Feng Zou, Cheng-Long Wang, Department of Pathology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing 400021, China
Sui-Qi Yang, Department of Laboratory Medicine, People’s Hospital of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing 401121, China
Shao-Ding Yu, Department of Orthopaedics, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing 400021, China
Co-first authors: Ling-Feng Zou and Sui-Qi Yang.
Co-corresponding authors: Shao-Ding Yu and Cheng-Long Wang.
Author contributions: Zou LF and Yang SQ contributed equally as co-first authors; Zou LF and Wang CL designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript, contributed to the discussion, and design of the manuscript; Yang SQ and Yu SD contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript, and review of literature; Yu SD and Wang CL contributed equally as co-corresponding authors; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: We hereby declare that ChatGPT was used only for preliminary language polishing of the manuscript to improve grammar, clarity, and readability. No part of the main text of the manuscript, including the Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, was generated by ChatGPT or any other AI tool. The manuscript content, scientific ideas, study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, and conclusions were prepared entirely by the authors. ChatGPT was not used for translation, data analysis, study design, interpretation of results, or substantive writing of the manuscript. All authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work.
Supported by Chongqing Health Commission and Science and Technology Bureau, No. 2023MSXM060.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Cheng-Long Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 6 Panxi 7 Branch Road, Jiangbei District, Chongqing 400021, China. qq171909771@gmail.com
Received: November 3, 2025
Revised: January 7, 2026
Accepted: February 26, 2026
Published online: August 7, 2026
Processing time: 256 Days and 16.6 Hours
Revised: January 7, 2026
Accepted: February 26, 2026
Published online: August 7, 2026
Processing time: 256 Days and 16.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: To maximize the identification of immunotherapy candidates in gastrointestinal cancer, we advocate for a paradigm of concurrent mismatch repair and DNA polymerase epsilon testing. This dual strategy provides a crucial second pathway to therapy for patients with proficient mismatch repair tumors who harbor pathogenic DNA polymerase epsilon mutations, ensuring these “hidden hot tumors” are not overlooked by conventional screening.