A critical therapeutic approach that is effective for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is to formulate individualized treatment strategies following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) on the basis of locoregional and systemic tumor response (“watch-and-wait” approach) [1,2]. Despite ongoing controversies, this strategy can reduce surgery-related and functional complications, thereby benefiting patients [1,3,4]. However, significant individualized differences in therapeutic responses exist…