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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Sep 15, 2026; 18(9): 115778
Published online Sep 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.115778
Published online Sep 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.115778
Shortening the hiatus: A preliminary challenge to the 4-6 weeks paradigm in adjuvant gastric cancer therapy
Jing-Jing Dai, Jun-Wen Cai, Department of Medical Laboratory, The Affiliated Huai’an No. 1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an 223300, Jiangsu Province, China
Xiao-Guang Xu, Research Center of High Altitude Medicine, People’s Hospital of Naqu Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, Naqu 852000, Xizang Autonomous Region, China
Guo-Quan Tao, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Huai’an No. 1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an 223300, Jiangsu Province, China
Wen-Jun Mao, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Wen-Jun Mao, Wuxi College of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Jing-Jing Dai and Jun-Wen Cai.
Co-corresponding authors: Guo-Quan Tao and Wen-Jun Mao.
Author contributions: Dai JJ and Cai JW contributed equally as co-first authors; Dai JJ, Cai JW, and Mao WJ designed the format for writing the article; Dai JJ, Xu XG, Tao GQ, and Mao WJ revised the article; Tao GQ and Mao WJ contributed equally as co-corresponding authors; all authors approved the final version to publish.
Supported by Key Research and Development, and Transformation Project of Nagqu City, No. NQKJ-2025-07; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81773538; Special Fund for the Construction of Key Medical Discipline Laboratories in Jiangsu Province, No. JSDW202233; and Jiangsu Province’s Sixth “333 Project” Talent Support Special Fund, No. S333YQ002.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Wen-Jun Mao, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, No. 299 Qingyang Road, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China. maowenjun1@njmu.edu.cn
Received: October 27, 2025
Revised: December 15, 2025
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: September 15, 2026
Processing time: 304 Days and 22.2 Hours
Revised: December 15, 2025
Accepted: January 22, 2026
Published online: September 15, 2026
Processing time: 304 Days and 22.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This editorial is based on an innovative study that explored the initiation of ultra-early adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II-III gastric cancer 10-13 days after laparoscopic gastrectomy. The research results indicate that the ultra-early protocol is safe and feasible compared with the traditional initiation, and shows a trend of potentially reducing the incidence of peritoneal metastasis (4.8% vs 26.2%). However, ultra-early chemotherapy is accompanied by a higher demand for dose adjustment, suggesting that future treatment strategies need to strike a balance between intervention timing and maintaining effective dose intensity, and should combine tumor characteristics to achieve individualized treatment.