Cancers

About Cancers

About Cancers

Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal on oncology, published online by MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), based in Basel, Switzerland. Launched in 2009, it is published semimonthly (twice a month) and releases articles in full open access under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. It is one of MDPI's flagship titles and among the most prolific open-access oncology journals in the world, with its Scopus coverage history running from 2009 to the present (MDPI journal page, mdpi.com/journal/cancers/about; Resurchify journal profile, retrieved October 2026). Depth profile compiled for Journals World — reference marker JW137e-CANCERS.

History

Founding (2009)

Cancers was founded in 2009 by MDPI as a specialist open-access venue for oncology. It began as a quarterly-to-monthly title and steadily expanded its volume as open-access publishing and MDPI's platform grew. Its Scopus coverage history begins in 2009 and continues to the present (Resurchify, June 2025 update), making it one of the longer-running continuous open-access oncology journals.

Growth into a major OA oncology venue

Over the 2010s, Cancers scaled rapidly: from a few hundred papers per year in its early years to several thousand annually by the early 2020s, reflecting both the growth of open-access publishing and the journal's adoption of the special-issue model, in which guest editors curate themed collections across the breadth of oncology. The journal has been indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE, Web of Science), Scopus, PubMed/PMC, Embase, and CAPlus/SciFinder (MDPI special-issue flyer materials; mdpi.com/journal/cancers/apc page, retrieved October 2026).

In 2022, Cancers was among the journals caught up in broader scrutiny of MDPI special-issue publishing practices — a debate about peer-review timelines and paper volume in very large open-access journals — but it retained its indexing and continued publishing (context widely reported in science-media coverage of the period). Its Journal Citation Reports ranking has held in the second quartile (Q2) of the Oncology category, while its Scopus CiteScore places it in Q1 for Oncology (MDPI journal flyer materials, retrieved October 2026).

Editorial leadership

The editor-in-chief is Prof. Dr. Samuel C. Mok of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. In his editorial message, Prof. Mok describes Cancers as "an international, online journal addressing both clinical and basic science issues related to cancer research" that "will continue its open access format," publishing high-quality clinical, translational, and basic-science research on cancer prevention, initiation, progression, and treatment — with particular attention to seminal studies in immunology, immunotherapy, and the tumor microenvironment (MDPI journal page, retrieved October 2026).

The journal's official materials also list associate editors including Dr. Amancio Carnero, Prof. Dr. Masaharu Seno, Dr. Deepak Nagrath, and Dr. Dania Cioni (MDPI journal flyer; readers should confirm current board composition on the journal's official editors page, as board membership changes over time). MDPI is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and the journal states that it enforces rigorous peer review with a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data falsification, and inappropriate authorship, screening submissions with iThenticate (MDPI "About Cancers" page).

Aims and Scope

Official aims

The journal's official aims statement (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/about, retrieved October 2026) reads:

"Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal on oncology. It publishes article types including Research Papers, Reviews, Editorials, Communications, etc. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced."

The negative-results feature

A distinctive feature of the journal's aims is its explicit welcome for negative results:

"There is, in addition, a unique feature of this journal: we accept studies showing meaningful but negative results. While there are many journals that focus on cancer studies, none of them actively accepts negative results. As a result, most negative data end up not being in the public domain even if the data were meaningfully negative and the study well designed. By accepting those negative results, our journal encourages scientists to share those data so that they would not need to repeat the experiments that somebody else has already done."

Scope

"We publish high-quality articles including basic, translational, and clinical studies on all tumor types." The journal's scope areas include, per its official materials: cancer pathophysiology, cancer causes, cancer diagnosis, cancer prevention, cancer treatment, tumor immunology and immunotherapy, the tumor microenvironment, cancer biomarkers, cancer genetics and genomics, cancer cell biology, cancer epidemiology, and related clinical and basic-science topics (MDPI journal materials). Article types comprise original research articles, reviews, communications, editorials, clinical observations with analysis and discussion, and topical special-issue collections.

Indexing and Metrics

Indexing

Cancers is indexed in:

• Web of Science — Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), with a Journal Impact Factor tracked in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), ranked Q2 in the Oncology category (MDPI journal materials, retrieved October 2026)
• Scopus, with a CiteScore ranking of Q1 in Oncology (MDPI journal materials)
• PubMed / PubMed Central (PMC)
• Embase
• CAPlus / SciFinder and other databases (MDPI special-issue flyer materials)

Metrics (with sources and vintage)

• Journal Impact Factor: 4.4, as displayed in MDPI's official journal flyer materials for Cancers (mdpi-res.com journal flyer, retrieved October 2026; vintage as published by MDPI)
• CiteScore: 8.8, as displayed in MDPI's official journal flyer materials (same source)
• H-index: 182 (Resurchify journal profile, retrieved October 2026; figures updated through 2025)
• SJR (SCImago Journal Rank): 1.41 (Resurchify, retrieved October 2026)
• Scopus "Impact Score" (cites per doc, 2-year): 4.88 (Resurchify, retrieved October 2026)
• Scopus subject categories: Oncology (Q1); Cancer Research (Q2) (Resurchify)

Note: metric values move with each annual release; the figures above are attributed to the sources and dates shown. Authors should check the current Journal Citation Reports and Scopus for the latest values.

Landmark Papers

The following papers, published in Cancers and verified through Crossref metadata (citation counts are Crossref's "is-referenced-by-count" figures, retrieved October 2026), rank among the journal's most-cited and most-read contributions:

• Housman G. et al. (2014), "Drug Resistance in Cancer: An Overview," doi:10.3390/cancers6031769 — a widely taught overview of how cancers evade therapy; the journal's most-cited article in Crossref (~2,190 citations).
• Wee P. & Wang Z. (2017), "Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Cell Proliferation Signaling Pathways," doi:10.3390/cancers9050052 — a comprehensive review of EGFR signaling, a cornerstone pathway in targeted cancer therapy (~1,850 citations).
• Łukasiewicz S. et al. (2021), "Breast Cancer—Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Classification, Prognostic Markers, and Current Treatment Strategies," doi:10.3390/cancers13174287 — a large-scale review synthesizing breast-cancer epidemiology and treatment (~1,810 citations).
• Florea A.-M. & Büsselberg D. (2011), "Cisplatin as an Anti-Tumor Drug: Cellular Mechanisms of Activity, Drug Resistance and Induced Side Effects," doi:10.3390/cancers3011351 — a review of cisplatin, one of oncology's foundational chemotherapies (~1,520 citations).
• Chanmee T. et al. (2014), "Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Major Players in the Tumor Microenvironment," doi:10.3390/cancers6031670 — a review of macrophage biology in cancer, reflecting the journal's emphasis on the tumor microenvironment (~1,390 citations).
• Vaddepally R.K. et al. (2020), "Review of Indications of FDA-Approved Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors per NCCN Guidelines," doi:10.3390/cancers12030738 — a clinically oriented synthesis of checkpoint-inhibitor indications (~1,100 citations).

Publishing Information

• Publisher: MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), Basel, Switzerland
• ISSN: 2072-6694
• Founded: 2009 (Scopus coverage history 2009–present, per Resurchify)
• Frequency: semimonthly (published twice per month; MDPI special-issue materials)
• Language: English
• Open access: yes — all articles are published in full open access under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; copyright is retained by the authors (MDPI "About Cancers" page)
• Article processing charge (APC): CHF 2,900 (Swiss francs) per accepted paper, as stated on MDPI's official APC page for the journal (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/apc, retrieved October 2026). Invoices are issued shortly after acceptance to the payment contact; discounts are available for authors from institutions participating in MDPI's Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) and for members of affiliated societies. Many funders and universities explicitly cover APCs for funded research (same source).
• Editorial office: MDPI, Grosspeteranlage 5, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland; email cancers@mdpi.com; telephone +41 61 683 34 77 (MDPI special-issue materials)

How to Publish in Cancers

The journal accepts original research articles, reviews, communications, editorials, and clinical observations accompanied by analysis and discussion. Practical guidance for prospective authors, drawn from the journal's official instructions:

1. Confirm scope fit. Manuscripts should report basic, translational, or clinical studies on any tumor type, or address the journal's priority themes — notably immunology, immunotherapy, and the tumor microenvironment (per the editor-in-chief's message). Full experimental details must be provided so results can be reproduced.
2. Consider the negative-results pathway. Uniquely among major oncology journals, Cancers explicitly welcomes well-designed studies reporting meaningful negative results — a deliberate policy to keep negative data in the public domain and prevent duplicated effort (official aims statement).
3. Submit online. Manuscripts are submitted through the MDPI online system at mdpi.com by registering and logging in; after registration, authors proceed to the submission form. Papers that pass the editorial pre-check are peer-reviewed through a single-anonymized process (MDPI special-issue submission information).
4. Explore special issues. The journal runs a large program of guest-edited special issues on focused topics (e.g., Wnt signaling in cancer, ablation in lung cancer, pelvic and sacral bone sarcomas). For planned papers, a title and short abstract (~250 words) can be sent to the editorial office for assessment; note the published submission deadlines.
5. Budget for the APC. The official article processing charge is CHF 2,900; check whether your institution participates in MDPI's IOAP or your funder covers APCs before submitting (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/apc).
6. Prepare thoroughly. MDPI advises that submitted papers be well-prepared with good English and clear figures, and that authors resolve reviewer issues promptly to avoid delays or rejection; MDPI Author Services offers professional English and figure editing (official APC/instructions pages).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the impact factor of Cancers?

MDPI's official journal materials display a Journal Impact Factor of 4.4 and a CiteScore of 8.8 for Cancers (journal flyer materials, retrieved October 2026). The journal is ranked Q2 in Oncology in the Journal Citation Reports and Q1 in Oncology by Scopus CiteScore. Values change with each annual release — check the current JCR and Scopus for the latest figures.

Who publishes Cancers?

MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), headquartered in Basel, Switzerland (MDPI journal pages).

Is Cancers open access, and what does it cost to publish?

Yes — all articles are fully open access under CC BY, with copyright retained by authors. The official article processing charge is CHF 2,900 per accepted paper, with institutional and society discounts available (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/apc, retrieved October 2026).

Does Cancers accept negative results?

Yes — this is an explicit, distinctive policy of the journal. Well-designed studies showing meaningful but negative results are welcomed, to keep such data in the public domain and prevent other groups from repeating already-done experiments (official aims statement).

Who is the editor-in-chief?

Prof. Dr. Samuel C. Mok, Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA (MDPI journal materials).

Where is Cancers indexed?

Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science), Scopus, PubMed/PMC, Embase, and CAPlus/SciFinder, among others (MDPI journal materials).

How long does peer review take?

MDPI journals operate on a rapid publication model — accepted papers are published continuously as soon as they are accepted. The journal does not publish an official guaranteed review timeline; prospective authors should check the journal's current statistics page for median times to first decision and publication.

How do I submit a manuscript?

Register and log in at mdpi.com, then use the online submission form for Cancers (mdpi.com/journal/cancers). The editorial office can be reached at cancers@mdpi.com for presubmission assessment (title plus ~250-word abstract) (MDPI submission information).

Publisher Background: MDPI

Cancers is published by MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute), headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Founded in 1996 as a chemistry publisher, MDPI has grown into one of the world's largest open-access publishers, operating several hundred journals across science, technology, medicine, and the humanities. MDPI is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA). Its publishing model is built on rapid, continuous online publication, guest-edited special issues, and article processing charges paid by authors or their institutions. MDPI's journals have been the subject of industry-wide debate about the trade-offs between publication speed, special-issue volume, and selectivity — a debate that has touched many large open-access publishers, not only MDPI. Cancers, as one of MDPI's oldest and most cited biomedical titles, is frequently cited in discussions of the model because of its scale.

Special Issues Program

A defining feature of Cancers is its extensive special-issue program: themed collections curated by guest editors on focused topics, from "Wnt Signaling in Cancer" and "Ablation in Lung Cancer" to "Advances in the Management of Pelvic Tumors" and "Research in Pelvic and Sacral Bone Sarcoma Diagnosis and Treatment" (MDPI special-issue pages, retrieved October 2026). Special issues invite research articles, reviews, and communications; manuscripts submitted to them pass the same editorial pre-check and single-anonymized peer review as regular submissions, and accepted papers are published continuously and listed together on the special-issue website. For authors, special issues offer a thematically aligned readership and guest editors with domain expertise; for the journal, they provide structured coverage of fast-moving subfields. Each special issue carries a published manuscript-submission deadline (for example, special issues with 2026 deadlines were listed on the journal's site as of October 2026).

Author Benefits and Publication Ethics

MDPI lists the following author benefits for Cancers: open access with unlimited free access for readers; high visibility through indexing in SCIE (Web of Science), Scopus, PubMed/PMC, Embase, CAPlus/SciFinder, and other databases; and rapid publication once papers are accepted (MDPI special-issue flyer materials). On ethics, the journal states that MDPI "takes the responsibility to enforce a rigorous peer-review together with strict ethical policies and standards," with zero tolerance for plagiarism, data falsification, and inappropriate authorship credit; submissions are screened against previous publications using iThenticate (MDPI "About Cancers" page). Book authors and publishers may send review copies to MDPI's Basel address for listing in the journal's "Books Received" section (same source).

Distinguishing Similarly Named Journals

Readers should not confuse Cancers (MDPI, ISSN 2072-6694, founded 2009) with similarly named titles. Onco (ISSN 2673-7523) is a separate, newer MDPI journal focused on oncotargets and cancer therapies, edited by Dr. Constantin N. Baxevanis. Oncotarget (ISSN 1949-2553) is published by the unrelated publisher Impact Journals. OncoTargets and Therapy (ISSN 1178-6930) is published by Dove Medical Press. Each has its own publisher, ISSN, editorial board, and metrics; always verify the ISSN when citing or submitting.

Sources and Attribution

• MDPI "About Cancers" / Aims & Scope page (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/about, retrieved October 2026) — aims, scope, ethics, CC BY license, editorial office.
• MDPI Cancers journal flyer (mdpi-res.com) and special-issue flyers (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/special_issue_flyer_pdf_v2/…) — Impact Factor 4.4, CiteScore 8.8, indexing list, EIC name and affiliation, associate editors, semimonthly frequency, APC CHF 2,900, contact details.
• MDPI Cancers APC page (mdpi.com/journal/cancers/apc, retrieved October 2026) — official APC of CHF 2,900, payment and discount terms.
• Resurchify Cancers journal profile (retrieved October 2026) — h-index 182, SJR 1.41, Impact Score 4.88, Q1 Oncology / Q2 Cancer Research, coverage history 2009–present, publisher, ISSN.
• Crossref API (api.crossref.org), ISSN 2072-6694 works sorted by citations — landmark paper verification.

Metric values are attributed to the sources and dates shown and change with each annual release.