- International Journal of Prostate Cancer
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The International Journal of Prostate Cancer publishes all prostate cancer research, basic, clinical, applied and translational.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous research on the causes, biology and natural history of prostate cancer.
- To report advances in its detection, diagnosis, staging and risk assessment.
- To report evidence on its treatment, supportive care and long-term management.
- To make this research openly available, so that researchers and clinicians can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
IJPC considers research on any aspect of prostate cancer, from laboratory studies to patient care. The areas below are illustrative and form part of a wider field, including:
- Etiology, genetics and risk factors
- Epidemiology and population studies
- Molecular and cellular biology
- Pathology and tumor grading
- Biomarkers and biochemical markers
- Screening and early detection
- Diagnostic imaging and biopsy
- Active surveillance
- Surgery and radiotherapy
- Hormonal and systemic therapy
- Novel therapeutic interventions
- Advanced and metastatic disease
- Patient management and clinical outcomes
- Survivorship and quality of life
- Health services and cost-effectiveness
- Clinical trials and translational research
Contributions from the biomedical, clinical, laboratory, imaging, behavioral, data and computational sciences are welcome when they address prostate cancer. A topic that is not named above is within scope when it meets that test.
Designs and approaches welcomed
IJPC considers quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research. Study designs are reported within the article types listed below; cohort, cross-sectional and diagnostic-accuracy studies, for example, are submitted as Original Research.
- Laboratory and translational
- Studies of cells, tissues, animal models and patient samples that explain mechanisms or test candidate markers and therapies.
- Observational studies
- Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies, including analyses of registries and routinely collected clinical data.
- Clinical studies
- Randomized and non-randomized trials, single-arm studies and studies of diagnostic or prognostic accuracy.
- Applied and health-services research
- Studies of clinical pathways, quality of care, patient-reported outcomes and economic evaluation.
- Evidence synthesis
- Reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
- Methodological research
- New, adapted or validated methods for measurement, analysis, imaging or evaluation.
What makes a manuscript a fit
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to prostate cancer, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence.
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Case reports
Case Reports, including short case series, are accepted when the case carries a clear lesson for diagnosis, treatment or understanding of prostate cancer.
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Commentaries and letters
Commentaries and Letters are accepted when they make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a prostate cancer question or on work published in IJPC.
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Single-center studies
Studies from a single center or country are accepted when the methods are clear and the limitations, including generalizability, are discussed.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on the structure, abstract and reporting standard for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original ResearchEmpirical laboratory, clinical or population studies of prostate cancer.
- ReviewAuthoritative narrative reviews of a defined topic in prostate cancer.
- Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSystematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question, with or without meta-analysis.
- MethodsNew, adapted or validated methods, techniques and protocols.
- Short CommunicationConcise reports of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Data NoteDescriptions of datasets, their collection, quality and access.
- Case ReportIndividual cases or short case series with a clear lesson.
- CommentaryEvidence-based argument on a current issue or on published research.
- LetterBrief responses to articles published in IJPC, or short observations of relevance to the field.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A short case series is classified as a Case Report, a scoping review as a Review, and a study protocol as Methods.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when it addresses prostate cancer, whatever its discipline or setting. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Does IJPC consider clinical studies?
Yes. Clinical, applied and translational studies are within scope alongside basic research, including studies of diagnosis, treatment and patient management.
Does IJPC consider studies from a single center?
Yes. Authors explain how their findings relate to other populations or settings.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to IJPC. Cite the preprint in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.