Duchalais E, et al. - The prognostic value of pathological lymph node status following neoadjuvant radiotherapy (ypN) for rectal cancer was determined by analyzing patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma who had neoadjuvant long-course radiation between 2005 and 2014 (according to the National Cancer Data Base), divided into ypN0, ypN1 and ypN2 groups. Researchers noted an independent association of ypN1 and ypN2 with overall survival after adjustment for confounding variables. Patients with ypN1–2 combined with ypT0–2 status displayed significantly longer overall survival vs that observed among those with ypT3–4 tumors, even with ypN0 status. Thereby suggesting the prognostic significance of both ypT and ypN status following neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer.