journals

NEJM is the most influential medical journal. When a cancer drug trial changes how patients are treated, the paper is usually here, often published the same day it is presented at ASCO, ESMO or ASH.

The Journal of Clinical Oncology is ASCO's flagship journal and the workhorse of clinical oncology, publishing trials, ASCO guidelines, and the abstract supplements for the ASCO Annual Meeting.

The Lancet Oncology is the leading specialist cancer journal for clinical trials. It publishes phase 2 and 3 trials, long-term follow-up, quality-of-life analyses and global-oncology policy Commissions.

The Lancet is Britain's leading general medical journal and the other main home of practice-changing cancer trials, with a stronger global-health and policy voice than NEJM.

Nature is the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. The big cancer biology discoveries land here: cancer genome atlases, tumour evolution, new drug targets and early first-in-human results.

Nature Medicine is Nature's clinical journal and now a top venue for early-phase and biomarker-rich cancer trials, medical AI studies and cell-therapy reports.

Annals of Oncology is ESMO's flagship journal, publishing European phase 3 trials, the ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines and the abstract books for the ESMO Congress.

JAMA Oncology is the JAMA Network's cancer journal, publishing phase 2 trials, secondary analyses of big trials, epidemiology, health policy and drug-pricing research.

AACR's clinical journal: phase 1 dose-escalation trials, biomarker studies, pharmacodynamics and the FDA approval summaries written by agency reviewers.

Science is the AAAS flagship and Nature's main rival. It is home to landmark cancer papers on mismatch repair and immunotherapy, cancer genome sequencing, liquid biopsy and the microbiome.

JAMA is the American Medical Association's flagship journal. It is strong on cancer screening, prevention, health-services and patient-reported-outcome research, and on the USPSTF recommendations.

Cell is the leading molecular and cell biology journal. It published the Hallmarks of Cancer and much of the mechanistic biology behind today's cancer drugs.

Commissioned expert reviews on cancer biology. The place to start when learning a new area of tumour biology, from metabolism to metastasis.

Blood is the American Society of Hematology's flagship journal, covering leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and transplant biology and trials, plus the ASH annual meeting abstracts.

Nature Genetics is the top genetics journal, publishing cancer genome-wide association studies, polygenic risk scores, cancer gene discovery and mutational-signature work.

CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians has the highest impact factor of any journal, because it publishes the annual US and global cancer statistics that almost every cancer paper cites.

AACR's high-profile journal bridging discovery and the clinic: first-in-human targeted-therapy data, resistance mechanisms and translational biology.

The Journal of Thoracic Oncology is the IASLC's journal and the leading specialist venue for lung cancer and mesothelioma: staging, biomarkers, targeted-therapy and screening research.

JNCI began as the US National Cancer Institute's own journal and is now independent. It is strong on cancer epidemiology, screening, trial methodology and health disparities.

Cancer Cell is Cell Press's dedicated cancer journal, publishing mechanism-rich papers on tumour biology, the microenvironment, resistance and biomarkers, plus the CPTAC proteogenomic atlases.

PNAS is the US National Academy of Sciences' weekly multidisciplinary journal, free to read six months after publication. Its cancer landmarks include the early oncogene and tumour-suppressor papers, the first PROTAC concept paper and the Iwai and Honjo paper showing that tumours use PD-L1 to escape T cells.

Springer Nature's large fully open-access multidisciplinary journal, carrying a high volume of cancer genomics, immunology, AI and translational papers.

Cancer is the American Cancer Society's peer-reviewed clinical journal, publishing across all cancers since 1948 with a focus on epidemiology, survivorship and outcomes.

The BMJ is the British Medical Association's journal. It published Doll and Hill's 1950 smoking and lung cancer study and remains a leading critic of weak cancer-drug evidence and a champion of open data.

Gastroenterology is the American Gastroenterological Association's journal, where much of the pancreatic cancer early-detection literature appears: the new-onset diabetes cohorts and the ENDPAC score, the CAPS surveillance series, CA 19-9 lead-time work and the targeted profiling of thousands of tumours.

European Urology is the European Association of Urology's journal and the most cited urology title, publishing prostate, bladder and kidney cancer trials, the EAU guidelines and PSMA imaging studies.

The European Journal of Cancer is the Elsevier journal affiliated with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, publishing phase 2 and 3 trials, EORTC quality-of-life questionnaire work, European guidelines on melanoma and skin cancers, and EUROCARE registry epidemiology. It is the place to look for European trial reports and consensus statements.

Neuro-Oncology is the Society for Neuro-Oncology's journal, publishing glioma, brain metastasis and paediatric brain tumour research, response criteria and the CBTRUS statistical reports.

The British Journal of Cancer is Cancer Research UK's journal, published by Springer Nature, covering translational and clinical research and the UK registry epidemiology on risk factors, attributable fractions and deprivation gaps. Its Cancer Research UK epidemiology reports are usually free to read.

NEJM Group's newer journal for clinical trials and trial methodology, publishing rigorous randomised studies that fall just outside the parent journal's remit.

ASCO's journal for genomics-guided cancer care: tumour sequencing studies, biomarker-selected trials, molecular tumour board case series and real-world genomic data.

SITC's fully open-access journal: checkpoint-inhibitor and cell-therapy trials, immune-related toxicity management guidelines and immunotherapy biomarkers.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation is a century-old physician-scientist journal, free to read, publishing mechanistic disease biology including tumour immunology, metabolism and early CAR-T science.

Cancer Research is AACR's original journal, publishing since 1941: broad basic and preclinical cancer biology, tumour immunology and the AACR annual meeting abstracts.

A long-established general cancer research journal founded by the International Union Against Cancer, spanning cancer biology, epidemiology and clinical research. Read by cancer researchers worldwide.

Science Translational Medicine is AAAS's translational journal, publishing the bench-to-bedside cancer papers on liquid biopsy, CAR-T engineering, tumour-immune biology and new imaging agents.

The Lancet Haematology is the Lancet's haematology journal, publishing phase 2 and 3 trials in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, transplant studies and global-access commentary on blood cancers.

ESMO's fully open-access journal: trials, real-world studies, ESMO position papers and the Living Guidelines updates, all free to read.

Gut is the British Society of Gastroenterology's journal: pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancer surveillance guidelines, cohort and registry studies and the microbiome papers that the pancreatic and colorectal records cite.

The International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, known as the Red Journal, is the American Society for Radiation Oncology's journal and the main US venue for radiotherapy trials, dose and fractionation evidence, physics and toxicity research, including NRG and RTOG cooperative-group results. Access is hybrid.

A high-volume open-access oncology journal from MDPI publishing thousands of papers a year across basic, translational and clinical cancer research.

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine is the SNMMI's journal and the core venue for PET tracers and radioligand therapy: PSMA and somatostatin imaging, lutetium and actinium dosimetry, and theranostics trials.

Leukemia is a Springer Nature haematology journal covering leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma biology and clinical research, including the International Myeloma Working Group consensus papers.

Commissioned clinical reviews for oncologists: treatment landscapes, biomarker strategies and trial-design critique, with the highest impact factor of any oncology journal.

ESTRO's journal, known as the Green Journal: European radiotherapy trials, contouring guidelines, physics and the evidence base for hypofractionation and proton therapy.

Annals of Surgical Oncology is the main journal of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the leading venue for surgical cancer research, read by surgical oncologists worldwide.

BMC Cancer is a large open access journal that takes sound research on any aspect of cancer, including study protocols, and is read by clinicians and researchers worldwide.

Cancer Medicine is a large open-access Wiley journal, launched in 2012, that takes research from every part of oncology, from laboratory biology to clinical trials and prevention, and also accepts papers referred from other Wiley journals. All articles are CC BY, with an article processing charge.

Nature Biotechnology is the leading biotechnology journal, covering new sequencing and single-cell methods, CAR-T and gene-editing engineering, ADC and protein design, plus biotech industry analysis.

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery is Springer Nature's monthly review journal on how drugs are discovered and developed. Its News and Analysis pieces are the usual source for the pipeline, clinical success-rate and attrition statistics quoted about oncology development, so investors and policy analysts read it as much as scientists.

Acta Oncologica is a Nordic clinical oncology journal, now fully open access, read by medical and radiation oncologists and cancer epidemiologists, especially in Scandinavia.

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment is a long-established Springer journal spanning breast cancer biology, epidemiology and clinical management, read by breast oncologists and researchers.

JAMA Internal Medicine is the JAMA Network's internal-medicine journal, known for sceptical, evidence-based analyses of overdiagnosis, surrogate endpoints and low-value care in cancer.

ASCO's open access journal for cancer care and research in low- and middle-income countries and other resource-limited settings. Read by oncologists and public-health researchers working on cancer worldwide.

JNCCN is the NCCN's journal, where the US treatment guidelines are published in article form alongside real-world practice and cost studies.

Nature Cancer is Nature's cancer-specific research journal, launched in 2020, spanning basic biology to translational and clinical cancer studies.

Annals of Internal Medicine is the American College of Physicians' journal. In cancer it carries the US Preventive Services Task Force evidence reviews and modelling studies that set screening ages and intervals, so primary care doctors read it for screening guidance rather than treatment trials.

Blood Cancer Journal is a fully open access Nature Portfolio journal on leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related disorders, read by clinical and laboratory haematologists.

ASCO's journal about how cancer care is actually delivered and paid for: financial toxicity, workforce, quality measures, telehealth and payment reform.

A large open access journal spanning blood cancers and solid tumours, from laboratory mechanisms to clinical trials. Read by haematologists, oncologists and translational researchers.

The main specialist journal for lung cancer and other chest tumours, publishing trials, translational studies and reviews. Read by thoracic oncologists, surgeons and pulmonologists.

AACR's preclinical therapeutics journal: where new small molecules, ADCs and combination strategies are first characterised in cells and mice.

Pediatric Blood & Cancer is the joint ASPHO and SIOP journal for childhood cancer and blood disorders, publishing cooperative-group trial reports, late effects and supportive care.

A fully open-access general medical journal that favours studies with global public-health impact, including cancer epidemiology, screening and health-policy work.

The Lancet's open-access digital-health journal: AI diagnostics, pathology and radiology algorithms, prediction models and the reporting standards for them.

Breast Cancer Research is an open access journal for laboratory, translational and clinical breast cancer science, read by breast cancer researchers and specialist clinicians.

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy (CII) is a long-running Springer journal on how the immune system recognises cancer and how that can be turned into treatment. Read by tumour immunologists and immunotherapy clinicians.

Cancer and Metastasis Reviews is a Springer review journal on how cancers grow, spread and resist treatment, and on the biology behind new therapies. Read by researchers who want authoritative overviews rather than primary data.

Cancer Research Communications is the AACR's fully open-access journal for rapid publication across all of cancer research, including confirmatory and null results. Read by researchers who want AACR peer review without a paywall.

A non-profit open-access life-science journal backed by HHMI, Wellcome and the Max Planck Society, known for its reviewed-preprint publishing model.

Endocrine-Related Cancer is the Society for Endocrinology's cancer journal, covering endocrine tumours and hormone-dependent cancers such as breast, prostate, thyroid and neuroendocrine tumours. Endocrinologists and cancer biologists read it.

The joint official journal of the International and Japanese Gastric Cancer Associations, devoted to stomach cancer. Read by gastrointestinal surgeons, oncologists and pathologists, particularly in East Asia where the disease is common.

The European Hematology Association's open-access journal, publishing haematological malignancy research from Europe and worldwide with no paywall.

The official journal of the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology, publishing clinical trials and other clinical cancer research in English. Read by oncologists in Japan and internationally.

The official journal of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society and ESGO, covering cancers of the ovary, uterus, cervix, vulva and vagina. Read by gynaecological oncologists, medical and radiation oncologists and pathologists.

An Italian-rooted open access journal for bench-to-bedside cancer research, from tumour models to early clinical studies. Read by translational cancer biologists and clinician scientists.

Practical Radiation Oncology is a clinically oriented radiotherapy journal published by Elsevier. Radiation oncologists read it for guidance on day-to-day treatment practice and quality.

Radiology is the RSNA's flagship journal, publishing imaging research including cancer screening performance, AI image analysis and response assessment.

Supportive Care in Cancer is the MASCC journal on managing symptoms and side effects across the cancer journey. It is read by oncologists, nurses, palliative care teams and researchers.

The Oncologist is a fully open access monthly journal from Oxford University Press and the Society for Translational Oncology, aimed at translating research into better multidimensional care for cancer patients.

The American Journal of Clinical Oncology is a general clinical cancer journal from Wolters Kluwer covering medical and radiation oncology, read by practising oncologists.

Anticancer Research is a monthly journal from the International Institute of Anticancer Research in Greece that has published experimental and clinical cancer papers with fast turnaround since 1981. It is indexed in MEDLINE, but its access model is mixed and it is not listed in DOAJ, so check individual articles.

Breast Cancer is the official journal of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society, publishing clinical and translational breast cancer research for surgeons, oncologists and pathologists.

Cancer Epidemiology is an Elsevier journal about what causes cancer, how it can be prevented and how outcomes vary across populations. Read by epidemiologists, public-health researchers and cancer registries.

AACR's epidemiology and prevention journal: risk factors, screening, early-detection biomarkers and cancer disparities.

Cancer Letters is a high-volume Elsevier journal for basic and translational cancer biology, with an emphasis on experimental targeted therapies. Read by laboratory cancer researchers.

Cancer Prevention Research is the AACR's journal for stopping cancer before it starts or catching it early: chemoprevention, risk factors, screening and interception. Read by prevention scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians running early-detection studies.

Cancer Science is the open-access journal of the Japanese Cancer Association, publishing basic, translational and clinical cancer research. Read by oncologists and cancer biologists, and a principal outlet for Japanese cancer research.

Cancer Treatment Reviews is an Elsevier review journal, published six times a year since 1974, that gives oncologists overviews of drugs, combinations and treatment strategies across systemic therapy, radiotherapy, surgery and supportive care. It is read by clinicians rather than laboratory scientists.

Chinese Clinical Oncology is an open access, peer-reviewed bimonthly journal from AME Publishing in Hong Kong, the official journal of the Society for Translational Medicine, publishing diagnosis, prevention and treatment studies with a large share of authors from China and Asia. It is indexed in MEDLINE but not listed in DOAJ.

Clinical Breast Cancer is an Elsevier specialty journal for clinical and translational breast cancer research, from detection and prevention to treatment. Breast oncologists, surgeons and translational researchers read it.

Clinical Colorectal Cancer is an Elsevier journal for clinical and translational research in colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers. Gastrointestinal oncologists and trialists read it for original reports tied to clinical practice.

Clinical Lung Cancer is an Elsevier journal for clinical and translational lung cancer research, from screening and diagnosis to drug resistance and multimodality treatment. Thoracic oncologists and lung cancer researchers read it.

Current Oncology is a Canadian-rooted, open access clinical oncology journal now published by MDPI, with several Canadian oncology associations affiliated. Clinical oncologists read it for original research, reviews and practice guidance.

Current Oncology Reports is a Springer review journal in which section editors commission experts to review recent clinical findings across oncology, with annotated reference lists that mark which papers change practice. Busy clinicians read it for summaries rather than primary data.

EJSO is the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and of BASO. It publishes clinical and translational research on cancer surgery and is read by surgical oncologists across Europe and beyond.

A high-frequency clinical oncology journal formerly from Future Medicine and now published by Taylor & Francis. It carries trial protocols, reviews and original research and is read by clinical oncologists and industry researchers.

A Cold Spring Harbor molecular biology journal where much of the foundational work on oncogenes, tumour suppressors, senescence and cancer gene regulation was published.

A Wiley journal on the genetic and chromosomal changes that drive cancer, from cytogenetics to genomic profiling. Read by cancer geneticists, molecular pathologists and cytogeneticists.

Gynecologic Oncology is the Society of Gynecologic Oncology's journal for ovarian, endometrial, cervical and vulvar cancer research, surgery and PARP-inhibitor and immunotherapy trials.