Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. 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.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Oct 27, 2026; 18(10): 125545
Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.125545
Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.125545
Letter to the Editor: From hemostasis to healing – rethinking the therapeutic paradigm for chronic radiation proctitis
Sai-Han Zhang, Yu-Bo Wang, Bing Chang, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China
Co-first authors: Sai-Han Zhang and Yu-Bo Wang.
Author contributions: Zhang SH and Wang YB wrote the original draft as co-first authors; Chang B revised the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the development or writing of this manuscript and take full responsibility for its integrity, accuracy, and originality.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Bing Chang, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China. cb000216@163.com
Received: July 10, 2026
Revised: August 20, 2026
Accepted: September 10, 2026
Published online: October 27, 2026
Processing time: 89 Days and 1.9 Hours
Revised: August 20, 2026
Accepted: September 10, 2026
Published online: October 27, 2026
Processing time: 89 Days and 1.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Thalidomide can effectively reduce bleeding in patients with chronic radiation proctitis, but improvement in mucosal structure appears less pronounced. Microbiota-based therapy, including fecal microbiota transplantation and washed microbiota transplantation, may complement thalidomide by restoring the intestinal microbial ecosystem and promoting mucosal recovery. Integrating haemostatic treatment with microbiota-based therapy may shift the therapeutic goal for chronic radiation proctitis from bleeding control toward mucosal healing.