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World J Gastrointest Surg. Feb 27, 2026; 18(2): 113530
Published online Feb 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.113530
Published online Feb 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.113530
Spatial immune cell architecture after gastric cancer surgery predicts prognosis
Heng-Jin Yang, Department of Radiotherapy, Huai’an Clinical Medical College of Jiangsu University, Huai’an Hospital of Huai’an City, Huai’an 223200, Jiangsu Province, China
Ben Liu, Department of Oncology, Shuyang County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suqian 223600, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Yang HJ and Liu B conceived and designed the study; Yang HJ performed the experiments, collected the data, and drafted the manuscript; Liu B conducted the statistical analysis. Both authors contributed to manuscript revision and approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: This retrospective study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Huai’an Hospital of Huai’an City (Approval No. HK20250610-12).
Informed consent statement: Owing to the retrospective design and use of de-identified data, the requirement for written informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee of Huai’an Hospital of Huai’an City.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: De-identified data underlying the findings are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request for non-commercial research, subject to institutional and ethics restrictions.
Corresponding author: Ben Liu, MD, Department of Oncology, Shuyang County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 28 Middle Shanghai Road, Shucheng Street, Suqian 223600, Jiangsu Province, China. liuben5723@163.com
Received: September 23, 2025
Revised: November 4, 2025
Accepted: December 11, 2025
Published online: February 27, 2026
Processing time: 155 Days and 23.4 Hours
Revised: November 4, 2025
Accepted: December 11, 2025
Published online: February 27, 2026
Processing time: 155 Days and 23.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This retrospective cohort study evaluated spatial distribution patterns of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer using multiplex immunohistochemistry. High CD8+ T-cell density at the invasive margin, a CD8+/forkhead box protein 3+ ratio > 2.5, and low programmed death ligand 1+ tumor cell proportion were independent predictors of favorable survival. An immune prognostic score integrating these features achieved high accuracy in predicting 5-year overall survival. These findings highlight the prognostic value of immune cell spatial profiling and may guide individualized postoperative immunotherapy strategies.