Precision Nodal Metrics in Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Narrative Review

Background and Aims: Lymph node involvement remains one of the most powerful determinants of prognosis across gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies and constitutes a central component of the tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system. Conventional nodal staging relies primarily on the absolute number of metastatic lymph nodes identified during pathological evaluation. However, this approach is highly dependent on the extent of lymphadenectomy and the adequacy of nodal retrieval, leading to potential stage migration and heterogeneity within individual nodal categories.