Is Cancer Research a Good Journal? Impact, Scope, and Fit
Cancer Research (IF 16.6, AACR) is the default top venue for basic cancer biology. Here is who should submit and how it compares to Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery, and Clinical Cancer Research.
Research Scientist, Neuroscience & Cell Biology
Author context
Works across neuroscience and cell biology, with direct expertise in preparing manuscripts for PNAS, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, eLife, and Nature Communications.
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Cancer Research.
Run the Free Readiness Scan with Cancer Research as your target journal and see whether this paper looks like a realistic submission.
Cancer Research at a glance
Key metrics to place the journal before deciding whether it fits your manuscript and career goals.
What makes this journal worth targeting
- IF 16.6 puts Cancer Research in a visible tier — citations from papers here carry real weight.
- Scope specificity matters more than impact factor for most manuscript decisions.
- Acceptance rate of ~~15-20% means fit determines most outcomes.
When to look elsewhere
- When your paper sits at the edge of the journal's stated scope — borderline fit rarely improves after submission.
- If timeline matters: Cancer Research takes ~~100-130 days median. A faster-turnaround journal may suit a grant or job deadline better.
- If open access is required by your funder, verify the journal's OA agreements before submitting.
How to read Cancer Research as a target
This page should help you decide whether Cancer Research belongs on the shortlist, not just whether it sounds impressive.
Question | Quick read |
|---|---|
Best for | Cancer Research published by the American Association for Cancer Research is one of the most selective and. |
Editors prioritize | Cancer mechanism with clear relevance to tumor biology or therapy |
Think twice if | Cancer mechanism without clinical relevance or therapeutic potential |
Typical article types | Research Article, Brief Communication |
Cancer Research (IF 16.6, AACR, Q1 Oncology) is the flagship journal of the American Association for Cancer Research and the default top-tier venue for basic cancer biology. It has published foundational cancer research for over 80 years.
The editorial distinction that matters: Cancer Research is a broad workhorse, not a narrow prestige title. It publishes far more papers per year than Cancer Cell or Cancer Discovery, covering everything from tumor immunology to cancer metabolism to computational oncology. The bar is genuine conceptual advance with broad cancer significance - not just a technically sound study about a tumor.
Cancer Research at a Glance
Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
Impact Factor (2024) | 16.6 |
Publisher | AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) |
Quartile | Q1 (Oncology) |
Acceptance Rate | ~10-15% |
Format | Research Articles, Priority Communications |
Open Access APC | ~$4,200 (hybrid) |
Review Speed | 6-10 weeks typical |
Key Strength | Broad basic cancer biology with conceptual depth |
How Cancer Research Compares to Peer Journals
Feature | Cancer Research | Cancer Cell | Cancer Discovery | Clinical Cancer Research | Oncogene |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IF (2024) | 16.6 | 44.5 | 32.0 | 10.2 | 7.0 |
Acceptance Rate | ~10-15% | ~5-8% | ~8-10% | ~15-20% | ~20-25% |
Scope | Broad basic cancer biology | Transformative cancer mechanisms | Major cancer insights | Translational cancer research | Cancer gene biology |
Volume | High (workhorse) | Low (very selective) | Moderate | High | High |
Publisher | AACR | Cell Press | AACR | AACR | Springer Nature |
The AACR family structure matters for your decision. Cancer Research is the broad flagship. Cancer Discovery (IF 33.3) is the AACR's more selective title for work with the highest significance. Clinical Cancer Research (IF 16.6) bridges basic and clinical. Oncogene (IF 7.0, Springer Nature) is a step down in selectivity and handles more focused gene-biology papers.
Cancer Cell (IF 44.5, Cell Press) is in a different league of selectivity - it wants transformative mechanistic stories that would be too narrow for Cell but too strong for anything else.
What Cancer Research Editors Actually Select
The editorial filter is: does this paper advance how the broad cancer research community understands biology, not just document another finding in a specific tumor type?
Papers that do well typically:
- Make a conceptual point that generalizes beyond one tumor model or one pathway
- Are unmistakably about cancer - not generic molecular biology with tumor cells as the experimental system
- Deliver mechanism, not just phenotype or association
- Would be read by cancer researchers outside the exact disease niche
The most common rejection profile is a technically strong paper about one tumor type with one pathway where the real audience is 200 specialists. Cancer Research wants work that teaches the broader cancer field something it did not know.
Submit If / Think Twice If
Submit if:
- Your paper makes a conceptual advance in cancer biology that matters beyond one narrow tumor or pathway niche
- The work is unmistakably cancer-first - removing the word "cancer" would collapse the manuscript
- The mechanism is explained, not just described - you have moved beyond phenotype and correlation
- Broad cancer researchers (not just your subfield) would genuinely want to read this paper
Think twice if:
- The paper is really molecular biology or immunology with tumor cells as the model system - a general biology or immunology journal may serve it better
- The contribution is descriptive - a new marker, a new association, a new dataset without a conceptual payoff
- The real audience is one narrow disease community - a disease-specific journal may give better visibility
- The work is strong enough for Cancer Cell or Cancer Discovery - do not undersubmit by defaulting to Cancer Research
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Cancer Research.
Run the scan with Cancer Research as the target. Get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cancer Research harder to get into than Oncogene?
Yes, substantially. Cancer Research (~10-15% acceptance) demands broader cancer significance and conceptual depth. Oncogene (~20-25% acceptance) publishes more focused gene-biology work. If your paper is a solid gene-level cancer study without broad field significance, Oncogene may be the more realistic and better-fitting target.
Should I try Cancer Cell first?
If the mechanistic story is truly transformative and would change how the cancer field thinks about a fundamental process, yes. But Cancer Cell accepts roughly 5-8% of submissions and publishes very few papers. Cancer Research is not a consolation prize - it is a genuinely strong journal with broader reach.
Does Cancer Research publish computational or technology papers?
Yes, when the primary contribution is a cancer insight - not just a method demonstration. A new computational tool published in Cancer Research should reveal cancer biology, not just demonstrate the tool on cancer data.
How does the review process work?
AACR uses a standard single-blind peer review. Expect editorial triage within 1-2 weeks and peer review decisions in 6-10 weeks. Priority Communications move faster.
Bottom Line
Cancer Research is the broad flagship of cancer biology - the journal where solid, conceptually important cancer research with genuine field-wide significance belongs. It is not the most selective cancer journal (that is Cancer Cell), but it is the most important workhorse venue for basic cancer science. If your paper teaches the cancer community something genuinely new and the audience extends beyond your immediate niche, this is a strong target.
Before submitting, a Cancer Research scope and readiness check can help you assess whether the conceptual advance and evidence package match Cancer Research's editorial expectations.
Before you submit
A Cancer Research submission readiness check identifies the specific framing and scope issues that trigger desk rejection before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Cancer Research is the flagship journal of the AACR with a 2024 impact factor of 16.6 and Q1 ranking in Oncology. It is the default top-tier venue for broad-scope basic cancer biology - the workhorse journal that publishes more high-quality cancer research than any other flagship.
Approximately 10-15%. The journal prioritizes manuscripts with broad cancer significance and clear conceptual advances. Descriptive work and narrow tumor-type studies without wider implications struggle at editorial triage.
Cancer Cell (IF 44.5) is far more selective (~5-8% acceptance) and publishes fewer papers with transformative mechanistic impact. Cancer Research (IF 16.6) has a wider aperture - it publishes more papers across basic, translational, and technology-driven cancer research. Think of Cancer Research as the AACR's broad workhorse and Cancer Cell as the field's most selective mechanistic flagship.
No. Cancer Research publishes basic and translational cancer biology, not clinical trial results. For clinical oncology, JCO, Annals of Oncology, or JAMA Oncology are the appropriate venues. Clinical Cancer Research (also AACR, IF 10.2) bridges the gap between basic and clinical.
Cancer Research (IF 16.6) focuses on basic cancer biology - mechanisms, models, and conceptual advances. Clinical Cancer Research (IF 10.2) focuses on translational work with explicit clinical anchoring - biomarkers, early-phase trials, and mechanism-to-clinic bridges. Both are AACR journals, but they serve different audiences.
Sources
- 1. Cancer Research journal homepage, AACR.
- 2. Cancer Research instructions for authors, AACR.
- 3. Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (2024 release).
Final step
See whether this paper fits Cancer Research.
Run the Free Readiness Scan with Cancer Research as your target journal and get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
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Where to go next
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Same journal, next question
- Cancer Research Submission Guide: Requirements & What Editors Want
- How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Cancer Research
- Cancer Research Review Time: What Authors Can Actually Expect
- Cancer Research Acceptance Rate: What Authors Can Use
- Cancer Research Impact Factor 2026: Ranking, Quartile & What It Means
- Cancer Research APC and Open Access: AACR Pricing Logic, Page Charges, and When Gold OA Is Worth It
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