Zhou DB, Yu J, He SJ, Teng Q, Guo Q, Li QL. Determinants of magnetic resonance imaging overstaging in rectal cancer T-staging. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(7): 121461 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.121461]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Quan-Lin Li, MD, Affiliate Associate Professor, Department of General Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital, Capital Medical University and Nanchong Central Hospital, No. 99 Anzhen Road, Gaoping District, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan Province, China. 645185541@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
research-article
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Zhou DB, Yu J, He SJ, Teng Q, Guo Q, Li QL. Determinants of magnetic resonance imaging overstaging in rectal cancer T-staging. World J Clin Oncol 2026; 17(7): 121461 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.121461]
Dong-Bing Zhou, Jing Yu, Qing Teng, Qing Guo, Quan-Lin Li, Department of General Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital, Capital Medical University and Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan Province, China
Si-Jia He, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital, Capital Medical University and Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan Province, China
Co-first authors: Dong-Bing Zhou and Jing Yu.
Author contributions: Zhou DB wrote the article and conducted the statistical analyses; Yu J collected the clinical data and abstracted the data; Zhou DB and Yu J contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; He SJ, Teng Q, and Guo Q participated in modification and data analysis; Li QL designed the research protocols for the present study and provided guidance for writing and revising the article; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools (specifically ChatGPT) were used solely for linguistic refinement and formatting assistance. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital, Capital Medical University and Nanchong Central Hospital, approval No. 2024(009).
Informed consent statement: Given the retrospective nature of the study, which entailed the analysis of preexisting clinical data, the ethics committee waived the requirement for informed consent. All patient data were anonymized and managed with strict adherence to privacy protection regulations.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Quan-Lin Li, MD, Affiliate Associate Professor, Department of General Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Nanchong Hospital, Capital Medical University and Nanchong Central Hospital, No. 99 Anzhen Road, Gaoping District, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan Province, China. 645185541@qq.com
Received: March 26, 2026 Revised: May 4, 2026 Accepted: June 8, 2026 Published online: July 24, 2026 Processing time: 121 Days and 14.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Current data indicate a propensity for magnetic resonance imaging to overestimate the T category of rectal tumors, particularly when evaluating diminutive lesions, polypoid morphologies, or cases demonstrating pronounced post-neoadjuvant regression. Diagnostic precision was concurrently compromised by several interpreter variables; restricted clinical tenure, absent structured training, abbreviated review durations, and solitary reading without multidisciplinary team input all exacerbated staging inaccuracies. Consequently, such observations advocate for adopting a risk-stratified clinical paradigm. For these vulnerable scenarios, standard magnetic resonance imaging assessments require augmentation through endorectal ultrasonography alongside cross-specialty panel consensus.
