The optimal number of lymph nodes examined for rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiotherapy

The optimal minimum number of LNs to be examined in rectal cancer patients treated with NCRT appears to be 7. The current standard of examining ≥12 LNs may be inappropriate. This finding provides valuable insights for determining the appropriate number of ELNs during surgery for rectal cancer patients who have undergone neoadjuvant therapy.