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 Clin Oncol. May 24, 2026; 17(5): 117161
Published online May 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.117161
Published online May 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.117161
Letter to the Editor: Deep margin positivity in small rectal neuroendocrine tumors - pathological insights for post-endoscopic submucosal dissection management
Ling-Feng Zou, Cheng-Long Wang, Department of Pathology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing 400021, China
Yan Luo, Department of Stomatology, The People’s Hospital of Dadukou District, Chongqing 400084, China
Co-corresponding authors: Yan Luo and Cheng-Long Wang.
Author contributions: Zou LF and Wang CL conceived the manuscript concept and designed the overall framework; Zou LF performed the literature review, drafted the manuscript, and coordinated revisions; Luo Y contributed to clinical interpretation, management-focused discussion, and manuscript editing; Wang CL provided senior pathological guidance, refined the interpretation of deep-margin positivity and artifact-related pseudopositivity, and critically revised the manuscript for scientific accuracy and coherence; Zou LF, Luo Y, and Wang CL discussed the evidence, revised the manuscript, and approved the final version; all authors read and approved the final manuscript. Luo Y and Wang CL are co-corresponding authors because they provided complementary and equally essential leadership. Luo Y led the clinical-translational framing and ensured the manuscript’s recommendations were clinically applicable. Wang CL led pathological interpretation, ensured diagnostic and methodological rigor, and supervised submission-related quality control and final approval. Their distinct but equally indispensable roles justify co-corresponding authorship.
AI contribution statement: ChatGPT was used only for language polishing of the manuscript. No part of the main text was AI-generated. The manuscript content, scientific ideas, study design, data, analysis, interpretation, and conclusions were prepared by the authors. ChatGPT was used only for preliminary language polishing to improve grammar, clarity, and readability. It was not used for data analysis, translation, or substantive writing of the manuscript. ChatGPT did not participate in the study design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results. No images in the manuscript were generated by AI.
Supported by the Chongqing Health Commission and Science and Technology Bureau, No. 2023MSXM060.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Cheng-Long Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 6 Panxi 7 Branch Road, Jiangbei District, Chong
Received: December 1, 2025
Revised: January 20, 2026
Accepted: February 13, 2026
Published online: May 24, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 17.2 Hours
Revised: January 20, 2026
Accepted: February 13, 2026
Published online: May 24, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 17.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Positive vertical margins after endoscopic resection of small, well-differentiated rectal neuroendocrine tumors do not necessarily indicate residual disease. Technical artifacts and the intrinsic indolence of G1 tumors support a risk-adapted, surveillance-based approach rather than routine salvage surgery after non-R0 resection.