Zhou SQ, Ke QH. Letter to the Editor: Total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: Navigating beyond surgical outcomes to holistic patient-centered care. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 116559 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.116559]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Qing-Hua Ke, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Chemoradiotherapy, Jingzhou No. 1 People’s Hospital and First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, No. 10 Tianhu Road, Shashi District, Jingzhou 434000, Hubei Province, China. 3803354759@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
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letter
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Zhou SQ, Ke QH. Letter to the Editor: Total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: Navigating beyond surgical outcomes to holistic patient-centered care. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 116559 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.116559]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Aug 15, 2026; 18(8): 116559 Published online Aug 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.116559
Letter to the Editor: Total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: Navigating beyond surgical outcomes to holistic patient-centered care
Shi-Qiong Zhou, Qing-Hua Ke
Shi-Qiong Zhou, Qing-Hua Ke, Department of Chemoradiotherapy, Jingzhou No. 1 People’s Hospital and First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Zhou SQ and Ke QH contributed equally to the manuscript, designed and wrote the paper; all authors approved the manuscript and its submission to World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.
AI contribution statement: We confirm that no AI software was used to generate any text content, research analysis or figures in this manuscript. For better readability and grammatical accuracy, we only adopted simple auxiliary tools for minor language polishing and grammar checking, without altering the core viewpoints, data analysis and original writing logic of the manuscript. We solemnly guarantee that all research content, conclusions and original expressions are independently completed by the authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Qing-Hua Ke, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of Chemoradiotherapy, Jingzhou No. 1 People’s Hospital and First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, No. 10 Tianhu Road, Shashi District, Jingzhou 434000, Hubei Province, China. 3803354759@qq.com
Received: November 14, 2025 Revised: January 15, 2026 Accepted: February 14, 2026 Published online: August 15, 2026 Processing time: 262 Days and 12.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Locally advanced rectal cancer treatment is evolving from surgery-centric to multimodal strategies, with total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) gaining attention for balancing curability and function. Jabbar et al’s study confirms that TNT-RAPIDO is surgically safe, achieving comparable R0 resection rates to standard chemoradiotherapy while reducing stoma duration and permanent stoma risk. We highlight the study’s contributions to resolving TNT-related uncertainties and propose future directions: (1) Validating findings in multicenter cohorts; (2) Evaluating long-term oncologic outcomes; (3) Integrating patient-reported measures; and (4) Developing personalized regimens. This shift toward holistic care ensures locally advanced rectal cancer treatment prioritizes both survival and quality of life.
