Cancer Research Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

Cancer Research enforces word limits strictly. Manuscripts exceeding the cap are returned before editorial review.

The 5,000-word count for Articles includes only body text: Introduction through Discussion. It excludes the abstract, references, figure legends, and tables. This is a relatively standard approach, but make sure you're not accidentally counting figure legends in your total.

Research Briefs are Cancer Research's short-format option for concise, complete studies. At 2,500 words and 3 figures, they're roughly half the length of a full Article but go through the same peer review. They're ideal for studies that make a clear, focused point without needing extensive background or multiple parallel lines of evidence.

Cancer Research requires structured abstracts for Articles, capped at 250 words. This is a firm limit enforced by the submission system.

Required abstract sections:

• Background (or Context): why this study was done
• Methods: brief description of the experimental approach
• Results: specific findings with quantitative data
• Conclusions: what the findings mean

Each section should be 2-4 sentences. The Results section should dominate, comprising roughly 40-50% of the abstract. Include specific numbers (fold changes, p-values, response rates) rather than vague claims.

One Cancer Research-specific consideration: the journal publishes across both basic and translational oncology. If your study has clinical implications, state them explicitly in the Conclusions. If it's basic biology, connect it to the broader understanding of cancer mechanisms. The abstract is the most-read part of any paper, and Cancer Research editors evaluate it carefully.

Don't include references, undefined abbreviations, or figure citations in the abstract. Spell out gene names at first use (tumor protein p53 (TP53)) unless the abbreviation is universally known in oncology.

Cancer Research allows up to 7 main figures for Articles. Most published papers use 5-7.

Figure requirements:

• Minimum resolution: 300 DPI for photographs and halftones, 600 DPI for line art
• Accepted formats: TIFF, EPS, or high-resolution PDF
• Figure widths: 3.25 inches (single column) or 6.75 inches (double column)
• Font in figures: Arial, minimum 8-point after sizing
• Panel labels: uppercase letters (A, B, C), bold
• Scale bars required on all microscopy images
• Flow cytometry plots must include axis labels and gating strategy
• Western blots must include molecular weight markers

Table formatting:

• Tables created using Word's table function
• Every column must have a header
• Statistical information (p-values, hazard ratios, confidence intervals) in the table or footnotes
• Horizontal rules only (top, header separator, bottom)
• No vertical lines or shading
• Units in column headers

Supplementary material:

Cancer Research accepts Supplementary Figures, Supplementary Tables, and Supplementary Data files. There's no strict limit, but keep it reasonable. All supplementary items must be cited in the main text. Supplementary material is submitted as separate files and is available to reviewers during peer review.

Cancer Research uses the AACR numbered reference format, which has one distinctive feature that catches many authors: citations in text use numbers in parentheses, not superscript.

In-text citation format:

• Single reference: (1)
• Multiple references: (1, 2)
• Range: (1-3)
• Parenthetical citations, NOT superscript

Reference list formatting:

• Numbered in order of first appearance
• All authors listed up to 10; for 11+, first 10 followed by "et al."
• Journal titles abbreviated using NLM/PubMed conventions
• Year follows the journal abbreviation
• Volume and page range follow the year

Example journal article:

1. Zhang Y, Liu T, Chen W, Patel SR. CDK4/6 inhibition reprograms the tumor immune microenvironment through interferon signaling. Cancer Res 2026;86:312-20.

Example book chapter:

1. Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. The hallmarks of cancer. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, editors. Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology. 12th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2025. p. 45-72.

Note the AACR style details: no commas between author surname and initials, the year appears after the journal abbreviation separated by a space, and inclusive page numbers are abbreviated (312-20, not 312-320). If you're using a reference manager, select "Cancer Research" as your output style. The generic "AACR" style may not match exactly.

Word is the standard and expected format for Cancer Research.

Word submissions:

• Use the AACR manuscript template (available from the journal website)
• Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced throughout
• Number all pages
• Include continuous line numbering
• Title page as first page
• Figures and tables at the end of the document or uploaded separately

LaTeX:

• Not the standard format for Cancer Research
• The oncology research community predominantly uses Word
• If you submit in LaTeX, conversion to Word will be needed during production
• Most equations in cancer research papers are simple enough for Word's equation editor

Cancer Research publishes primarily biological and clinical studies. Complex mathematical notation is rare. Use Word and the AACR template from the beginning.

1. Significance statement is required. Cancer Research Articles must include a Significance statement of 100 words or fewer. This brief paragraph appears at the end of the abstract and explains why the study matters for the cancer research community. It's aimed at a broader oncology audience, not just your subspecialty. Think of it as your elevator pitch: what should a cancer researcher outside your field take away from this paper?

2. Title page requirements are extensive. The title page must include: full title, running title (60 characters max), all author names and affiliations, corresponding author contact information, disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, word counts for abstract and body text separately, and number of figures and tables.

3. AACR conflict of interest policy is strict. All authors must disclose relationships with commercial entities that could be perceived as influencing the work. This includes consulting fees, advisory board membership, equity, patents, and research funding from companies. Even small amounts must be disclosed. The disclosure appears in the published article.

4. Data and code sharing. Cancer Research requires that data supporting the findings be made available. For genomic data, deposit in GEO, SRA, or EGA. For proteomics, use PRIDE. The data availability statement goes on the title page. Code must be deposited in a public repository (GitHub, Zenodo, etc.).

5. Reporting guidelines are enforced. Clinical studies require CONSORT, STROBE, or other appropriate checklists. Preclinical studies must follow AACR guidelines on rigor and reproducibility, including antibody validation information, cell line authentication, and mycoplasma testing status.

6. The parenthetical reference style is non-negotiable. If you submit with superscript citations, the manuscript will be returned for formatting correction. AACR uses parenthetical (1) style across all its journals. This is probably the single most common formatting error from authors submitting to Cancer Research for the first time.

A Cancer Research Article follows this structure:

1. Title page (title, running title, authors, affiliations, disclosures, word counts)
2. Abstract (250 words max, structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions)
3. Significance statement (100 words max)
4. Introduction
5. Materials and Methods
6. Results
7. Discussion
8. Acknowledgments
9. References
10. Figure legends
11. Figures (one per page)
12. Tables (one per page)

The Introduction should be focused (3-4 paragraphs) and end with a clear statement of what the study tested or investigated. The Materials and Methods section must be detailed enough for reproduction and should include subsections for statistical analysis, cell line authentication, and animal study approval. The Results and Discussion are always separate at Cancer Research; combined Results/Discussion is not accepted for Articles.

Cancer Research uses single-blind peer review through the AACR submission portal. The editorial process is structured:

1. Editorial triage: editors assess fit and novelty before sending to review
2. Peer review: typically 2-3 reviewers, 4-8 weeks for first decision
3. Revision: usually one round, with a 2-month revision window
4. Acceptance or reject after revision: second reviews are common

Cancer Research has a rejection rate above 90% at the initial triage stage. Your manuscript needs a compelling story with rigorous data to make it past the editors. The Significance statement and structured abstract are what editors read first, so invest time in both.

These errors cause the most delays at Cancer Research:

• Using superscript citations instead of parenthetical (1) style
• Missing the Significance statement
• Structured abstract exceeding 250 words or using wrong section headings
• Running title over 60 characters
• Combined Results/Discussion (must be separate at Cancer Research)
• Incomplete conflict of interest disclosures
• Missing cell line authentication or mycoplasma testing information in Methods

For authors also considering Cell Press oncology journals, see our Cancer Cell formatting requirements guide for a comparison. If you're targeting a clinical oncology audience, our guide on JAMA formatting requirements covers that very different formatting system.

For the official author instructions, visit the Cancer Research author guidelines.