Journal Guide
Publishing in Nature Reviews Cancer: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide
Expert reviews synthesizing oncology mechanisms and therapeutic strategies
Should you submit here?
60.7
Impact Factor
Not publicly reported
Acceptance Rate
6 days median to first editorial decision
Time to First Decision
Acceptance-rate source: Nature Reviews Cancer editorial process · checked 2026-09-12The publisher describes commissioning and proposal review but does not publish an acceptance rate.
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What Nat. Rev. Cancer Publishes
Nature Reviews Cancer is an influential review journal in oncology. With a 2025 JIF of 60.7 in the 2026 JCR release, it publishes authoritative reviews and analysis across cancer mechanisms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. External articles are invited or commissioned, while authors are explicitly welcome to submit proposals for Review-type and Comment-type articles. A proposal is not a direct manuscript acceptance route: the editors decide whether to commission the article before manuscript development proceeds.
- Cancer biology: tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, transformation
- Oncogenes and tumor suppressors: genetic drivers, signaling cascades
- Immunotherapy: checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, immune strategies
- Targeted therapies: kinase inhibitors, precision medicine, biomarkers
- Cancer metabolism: metabolic reprogramming, metabolic dependencies
- Tumor microenvironment: stromal cells, immune infiltration, vasculature
- Drug resistance: mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, overcoming resistance
- Cancer types: specific cancers (lung, breast, colon, etc.), cancer subtypes
Manusights editorial analysis
Nature Reviews Cancer publishes authoritative syntheses of cancer mechanisms and therapeutics. We seek expert-authored reviews by leading cancer researchers synthesizing major advances and clinical implications.
What Nat. Rev. Cancer Editors Look For
Authoritative synthesis of major cancer mechanism or therapeutic area
Reviews must comprehensively cover field with expert authority. Only for recognized cancer biology or oncology leaders.
Integration of basic cancer biology with clinical oncology
Connect molecular mechanisms to patient outcomes and therapeutic strategies. Translate biology to clinic.
Critical evaluation of competing mechanisms and therapeutic approaches
Weigh evidence, discuss limitations, identify areas of clinical or biological uncertainty.
Clear articulation of therapeutic opportunities and research directions
Identify targets, opportunities, and future research needs. Guide both research and clinical practice.
Exceptional clarity for both research and clinical audience
Reviews reach cancer researchers AND oncologists. Balance mechanistic detail with clinical relevance.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Nat. Rev. Cancer's editorial review:
Sending a full unsolicited manuscript instead of a proposal
Nature Reviews Cancer welcomes proposals for Review-type and Comment-type articles, then decides whether to commission them. Use the journal's synopsis route before developing or uploading a full manuscript.
Literature summary without critical synthesis or clinical integration
Reviews must integrate basic science with clinical implications. Not exhaustive literature lists.
Incomplete coverage of mechanism or ignoring competing models
Authoritative reviews address major mechanisms. Omitting important competing views is critical flaw.
No discussion of therapeutic implications or clinical translation
Cancer reviews should identify drug targets, therapeutic opportunities, clinical applications.
Overly basic or overly technical writing unsuitable for dual audience
Reviews reach cancer researchers AND clinicians. Balance mechanistic detail with clinical accessibility.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Nat. Rev. Cancer's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Manusights submission tips for Nat. Rev. Cancer
Make the proposed author team's authority legible
The synopsis should show why this author team can deliver an authoritative, balanced treatment of the proposed topic; the publisher also encourages diversity in commissioned author teams.
Use the formal proposal route before writing the full article
The publisher welcomes proposals for Review-type and Comment-type articles through its online system as a synopsis with a 200-word abstract, section outline, key references and author affiliations.
Emerging therapeutic areas increasingly valued
Reviews synthesizing new therapeutic approaches (immunotherapy evolution, new targets) more competitive.
Cancer subtype or mechanism reviews more competitive than broad cancer reviews
Specific cancer type or mechanism reviews (lung cancer, CAR-T, metabolism) stronger than pan-cancer.
Recent clinical advances or paradigm shifts increase suitability
Reviews synthesizing recent clinical breakthroughs (new drug approvals, resistance patterns) highly competitive.
The Nat. Rev. Cancer Submission Process
Submit a proposal for an eligible article type
Before writingFor Review-type or Comment-type content, submit a synopsis through the journal's online system with a 200-word abstract, a brief description of the main sections, key references, and the proposed authors and affiliations.
Manuscript preparation
Prep8,000-12,000 words (Nature Reviews format). Comprehensive synthesis, clinical integration, critical evaluation, future directions.
Submission via Nature system
Day 0Submit at https://www.nature.com/nrc/. Include cover letter with established expertise and review timeliness.
Editorial screening
6 days median to first editorial decision across submissionsEditor assesses author stature, review timeliness, clinical significance. Unsolicited papers face extreme scrutiny.
Peer review (if advanced)
Varies by article and reviewer availabilitySeveral experts assess the balance and accuracy of review-type articles. The editor returns reports and guides revision; the publisher does not promise a fixed peer-review duration for an individual article.
Revision and publication
Revision: 2-6 weeksRevisions typically focus on clarity and completeness. Publication 2-4 weeks after acceptance.
Nat. Rev. Cancer by the Numbers
| 2025 Impact Factor(2026 JCR release; rank 4/333 in Oncology) | 60.7 |
| 5-Year Impact Factor(2026 JCR release) | 85 |
| Acceptance rate(Publisher checked 2026-09-12) | Not publicly reported |
| Median first editorial decision(Nature Reviews Cancer journal metrics, checked 2026-09-12) | 6 days |
| Article type | Reviews only |
| Publisher | Nature Research |
| Founded | 2002 |
Before you submit
Nat. Rev. Cancer accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.
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Article Types
Review
8,000-12,000 wordsAuthoritative cancer research synthesis (invitation strongly preferred)
Landmark Nat. Rev. Cancer Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Tumor suppressor p53 biology (2000s+) - fundamental cancer mechanism
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (2015+) - immunotherapy revolution
- Precision oncology and genomics (2010s+) - personalized cancer treatment
- CAR-T cell therapy and cell engineering (2015+) - cellular immunotherapy
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Primary Fields
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Related Journal Guides
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- Publishing in Cell Reports
Latest Journal-Specific Guides
- Submission guideNature Reviews Cancer Submission Guide: What to Prepare Before You PitchA practical Nature Reviews Cancer submission guide for authors deciding whether a review concept is broad, authoritative, and timely enough to pitch.
- Journal assessmentIs Nature Reviews Cancer a Good Journal? A Real Fit Verdict for AuthorsA practical Nature Reviews Cancer fit verdict: what the journal is actually good for, who should pitch, and when it is the wrong target.
- Desk rejectionHow to Avoid Desk Rejection at Nature Reviews Cancer (2026)How to avoid desk rejection at Nature Reviews Cancer: commissioned-level synthesis, timing, and field authority.
- Review timelineNature Reviews Cancer Review Time: What Authors Can Actually ExpectNature Reviews Cancer is not a standard unsolicited research journal. The timing question starts with commissioning, editorial shaping, and only then formal peer review.
More Guides for This Journal
- Acceptance rateNature Reviews Cancer Acceptance Rate: What Authors Can UseNature Reviews Cancer does not publish a strong official acceptance rate. The better submission question is whether the topic and author team are realistic for a commissioned flagship review.
- Impact factorNature Reviews Cancer Impact Factor 2026: 60.7, Q1, Rank 4/333Nature Reviews Cancer impact factor is 60.7 with a 5-year JIF of 85. Q1, rank 4/333. An invited review journal with elite citation performance.
- Publishing costsNature Reviews Cancer APC and Open Access: The Commissioning Journal with No Publication FeeNature Reviews Cancer has no APC and no open access option, only the subscription route. Compare invited-review fit, deals, and peer journals.
- Submission processNature Reviews Cancer submission processA practical Nature Reviews Cancer process guide covering what happens after a pitch, what editors judge first, and how to read silence or delay.
- Manuscript prepNature Reviews Cancer Cover Letter: What Editors Actually Need to SeeNature Reviews Cancer asks authors to submit proposals, not unsolicited manuscripts. Most content is commissioned by in-house editors. If you want to publish here, you need a proposal, not a traditional cover letter.
- Publishing guideNature Reviews Cancer Formatting Requirements: Complete Author GuideNature Reviews Cancer publishes primarily invited Reviews, with length agreed with the editor. Schematics are redrawn by the in-house art team. Nature Reviews numbered reference style, about 25 references per 1,000 words.
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