Krishnan A. From inflammation to precision medicine in colon cancer: Methodological considerations and future directions. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(2): 114796 [PMID: 41809352 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.114796]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Arunkumar Krishnan, MD, MSHCM, Assistant Professor, Senior Scientist, Department of Oncology, Atrium Health Levine Cancer, 1021 Morehead Medical Drive, Charlotte, NC 28204, United States. dr.arunkumar.krishnan@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
letter
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Krishnan A. From inflammation to precision medicine in colon cancer: Methodological considerations and future directions. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(2): 114796 [PMID: 41809352 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.114796]
World J Gastrointest Surg. Feb 27, 2026; 18(2): 114796 Published online Feb 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i2.114796
From inflammation to precision medicine in colon cancer: Methodological considerations and future directions
Arunkumar Krishnan
Arunkumar Krishnan, Department of Cancer Medicine, Atrium Health Levine Cancer, Charlotte, NC 28204, United States
Author contributions: Krishnan A conceptually developed the manuscript and conducted the assessment; Krishnan A was responsible for preparing the manuscript draft, which was subsequently reviewed and approved for final publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Arunkumar Krishnan, MD, MSHCM, Assistant Professor, Senior Scientist, Department of Oncology, Atrium Health Levine Cancer, 1021 Morehead Medical Drive, Charlotte, NC 28204, United States. dr.arunkumar.krishnan@gmail.com
Received: September 28, 2025 Revised: November 3, 2025 Accepted: December 8, 2025 Published online: February 27, 2026 Processing time: 151 Days and 10.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: A study by Zhu SS et al reported that the systemic immune-inflammation index and serum lactoferrin levels predict survival in elderly patients with colon cancer. While promising, the study was limited by a small, single-center cohort, a short follow-up period, and an incomplete adjustment for confounders. Predictive accuracy was only moderate, yet conclusions were overstated. To ensure clinical utility, future research should validate systemic immune-inflammation index and lactoferrin in larger, multicenter studies with longer follow-up, benchmark them against established prognostic indices, and incorporate molecular markers. Such efforts are crucial to establishing reliable, externally validated prognostic tools for the individualized management of older colon cancer patients.
