Life & Health Sciences
Oncology and cancer research: journals, data, standards and funders
Oncology research is organised around a shared set of societies, journals, registries and reporting standards. The American Association for Cancer Research, founded in 1907, publishes Cancer Research and Cancer Discovery, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, founded in 1964, publishes the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The European Society for Medical Oncology, founded in 1975, publishes Annals of Oncology, and the Union for International Cancer Control, founded in 1933, links cancer organisations worldwide.
Funding is anchored by the US National Cancer Institute, created in 1937, which supports 73 designated cancer centers and, since 2014, the National Clinical Trials Network. Cancer Research UK, formed in 2002, and the state-bonded Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, created in 2009, are other major sources of grants.
Shared data and conventions shape how studies are designed and reported. Population-based incidence and survival data come from the SEER Program, which has collected data since 1973. TCGA profiled 33 cancer types and its data now sit in the NCI Genomic Data Commons. Trials are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, and the IARC Monographs classify carcinogenic agents. Trial endpoints and safety reporting rely on RECIST for tumour response, CTCAE for adverse event grading and the TNM system for staging, now in its 9th edition.
Literature is found through PubMed and, for early findings, the bioRxiv and medRxiv preprint servers. This page gives the discipline-wide view; the specialization pages cover biology, genomics, immunotherapy, drug development, trials, radiation, imaging, pathology, epidemiology, prevention, survivorship, paediatric cancers and blood cancers in detail.
New to the field? What is Oncology & Cancer Research? →
Reviewed 5 November 2026 by CASRAI Editorial Board
- Cancer Research(read 5 November 2026)
- Cancer Discovery(read 5 November 2026)
- Journal of Clinical Oncology(read 5 November 2026)
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)(read 5 November 2026)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)(read 5 November 2026)
- European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)(read 5 November 2026)
- Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)(read 5 November 2026)
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)(read 5 November 2026)
- Cancer Research UK(read 5 November 2026)
- Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)(read 5 November 2026)
- SEER Program(read 5 November 2026)
- The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)(read 5 November 2026)
- ClinicalTrials.gov(read 5 November 2026)
- IARC and the IARC Monographs(read 5 November 2026)
- RECIST(read 5 November 2026)
- Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE)(read 5 November 2026)
- TNM staging(read 5 November 2026)
- bioRxiv(read 5 November 2026)
- medRxiv(read 5 November 2026)
- PubMed(read 5 November 2026)
Field at a glance
Journals
- Cancer Research
- AACR biweekly journal; the title dates from 1941 and traces back to the Journal of Cancer Research of 1916.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Cancer Discovery
- AACR monthly journal established in 2011, covering cancer research and clinical trials.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Journal of Clinical Oncology
- ASCO's journal, first issued in January 1983, publishing clinical oncology research 36 times a year.Website ↗
Societies
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
- Founded in 1907; more than 58,000 members in 142 countries; publishes Cancer Discovery and Cancer Research.Website ↗
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- Founded in 1964; nearly 45,000 members; publishes JCO and runs the CancerLinQ data platform.Website ↗
- European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
- Founded in 1975 and based in Lugano; publishes Annals of Oncology and the ESMO-MCBS clinical benefit scale.Website ↗
- Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
- Founded in 1933; more than 1,100 member organisations; organises World Cancer Day and the World Cancer Congress.Website ↗
Funders and programmes
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Created in 1937; supports 73 designated cancer centers and, since 2014, the National Clinical Trials Network.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Cancer Research UK
- Formed in 2002 by merging two charities; funds research institutes and centres across the UK.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)
- State agency created in 2009 and funded by bonds; the limit was raised to $6 billion by voters in 2019.Website ↗
Archives, facilities and data
- SEER Program
- NCI programme with population-based incidence and survival data, collecting stage at diagnosis; covers about 45.9% of the US population.Website ↗
- The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)
- Ran from 2006 to 2018; 33 cancer types and nearly 20,000 biospecimens; data hosted in the Genomic Data Commons since 2017.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- NLM registry public since 29 February 2000; FDAAA 801 added registration duties and results reporting.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- IARC and the IARC Monographs
- WHO cancer agency founded in 1965 in Lyon; the Monographs have classified carcinogenic agents since 1970.Website ↗
Standards and formats
- RECIST
- Rules for judging tumour response, first published in February 2000 and revised as version 1.1 in 2009.Website ↗ · Our guide →
- Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE)
- NCI-originated grading of adverse events on a 1 to 5 scale; version 6.0 was published on 22 July 2025.Website ↗
- TNM staging
- Staging standard maintained by UICC with AJCC; 9th edition published in 2025; does not apply to leukaemia or CNS tumours.Website ↗
Preprints and indexes
- bioRxiv
- Preprint server launched in November 2013; cancer biology is one of its subject areas; run by openRxiv since March 2025.Website ↗
- medRxiv
- Health sciences preprint server launched in June 2019 with a clinical focus; also run by openRxiv.Website ↗
- PubMed
- NLM index launched in 1996, built on MEDLINE; over 40 million citations by March 2025.Website ↗
32 pages across 9 topic areas
Grants Management & Research Funding
- AACR Research Grants: Funding Mechanisms, Eligibility, and Application Guide
A guide to American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) funding mechanisms, eligibility rules, ProposalCentral steps, and grant compliance.…
- ACS Research Scholar Grant: Rules and Deadlines
Complete guide to the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (RSG): eligibility requirements, direct and indirect cost caps, ProposalCentral a…
- ASCO Career Development Award: Application Guide
Explore the ASCO Career Development Award (CDA), eligibility rules for junior faculty, mentored clinical research requirements, and Conquer Cancer fun…
- Cancer Moonshot: NCI Funding & Research Grants
Comprehensive guide to the NCI Cancer Moonshot: 21st Century Cures Act funding, Cancer Moonshot Scholars R01s, research consortia, and data sharing.…
- Cancer Research Funding: A Landscape Overview for Researchers
A landscape guide to who funds cancer research -- NCI and the broader NIH, the American Cancer Society, disease-specific charities like LLS and the Pr…
- CPRIT Grants: Texas Funding Programs & Rules
Complete guide to CPRIT grants in Texas: funding mechanisms, eligibility rules, Texas entity requirements, Grant Management Platform steps, and review…
- NCI Funding: How the National Cancer Institute’s Grant Mechanisms and Payline Work
NCI is the largest NIH institute by budget and runs several distinctive mechanisms: its own payline, the P30 Cancer Center Support Grant, R37 MERIT aw…
- St. Baldrick's Foundation: What It Funds and How to Apply
What St. Baldrick's Foundation funds, its grant categories by career stage, and how its two-stage application works, from its official pages.…
Laboratory Operations & Safety
- Carbon Ion Therapy: How It Works, RBE and Evidence
How carbon ion radiotherapy works, how its RBE and OER differ from protons and photons, and how strong the trial evidence is.…
- JAK2 V617F: What the Mutation Is and Which Neoplasms Carry It
What JAK2 V617F is, which myeloproliferative neoplasms carry it, how testing sensitivity works and what a positive result does and does not mean.…
- OncoKB: Precision Oncology Knowledge Base, Annotator and API
OncoKB is MSK's precision oncology knowledge base. Learn its evidence levels, API token tiers, Annotator scripts and what FDA recognition covers.…
- Oncolytic Virus: How It Works and the Approved T-VEC
Oncolytic virus explained: direct tumor lysis plus antitumor immunity, T-VEC as the FDA-approved example, and FDA's shedding-study concepts.…
- Supportive Care in Cancer: Definition, Scope, and How It Differs From Palliative Care
Supportive care in cancer, defined by MASCC and NCI wording, compared with palliative care and 'best supportive care', with a trial-protocol checklist…
- U.S. Cancer Statistics: Where the Numbers Come From and How to Read Them
Compare CDC USCS, NCI SEER and ACS cancer figures: observed vs projected, what is counted, and a checklist for citing U.S. cancer statistics.…
Scholarly Publishing
- DKFZ: German Cancer Research Center Guide
DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center / Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) guide: five research programs, 21 core facilities, translational networks, and…
- ESMO: Medical Oncology Society & Guide
ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) guide: governance, clinical guidelines, ESMO-MCBS, ESMO Examination certification, and membership fees.…
- IARC List of Carcinogens: Classification Guide
Explore the IARC list of carcinogens, hazard classification groups 1 through 3, Monograph evaluation methodology, and evidence streams for cancer rese…
- Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Scope & Indexing
Explore the Journal of Cancer Survivorship: scope, MEDLINE and Web of Science indexing, Springer Nature SNAPP submission workflows, and publishing mod…
- NCI Thesaurus: Structure, API & Research Use
Comprehensive guide to the NCI Thesaurus (NCIt): 19 root hierarchies, EVS REST API endpoints, OWL2 data downloads, and oncology metadata standards.…
- NMDP Registry: What It Is and How Searches Work
NMDP registry explained: its history, federal role, the search terms transplant centers use, and what it is not.…
Clinical Research Administration
- FDA's Project Optimus: Oncology Dose Optimization Explained
FDA's Project Optimus reforms oncology dose selection, moving sponsors away from maximum-tolerated-dose-only strategies toward randomized dose optimiz…
- National Lung Screening Trial (NLST): Design, Results and Data Access
NLST design, eligibility and results (17.6 vs 20.7 lung cancer deaths per 1,000) plus how researchers request the data through NCI CDAS.…
- NCI's Cancer Trials Support Unit (CTSU): How It Centralizes Billing and Regulatory Support
CTSU is the NCI service that centralizes regulatory documentation, IRB/CIRB reliance, and billing-compliance support for sites running NCTN, NCORP, an…
- Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR): FDA’s Rolling Oncology Submission Process
RTOR lets oncology sponsors submit trial data to FDA on a rolling basis, ahead of the full application, so review can begin earlier. Eligibility, proc…
Research Methods & Statistics
- Oncology vs Hematology: What Is the Difference?Comparison
Oncology is defined by cancer in any tissue; hematology by blood and marrow, benign and malignant. They overlap in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.…
- Radiology vs Radiation Oncology: What Is the Difference?Comparison
Radiology uses imaging (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine) to see inside the body for diagnosis and image-guided procedures. Radiation onco…
- What Is Radiation Oncology? Research Areas, Funding, and Career Paths
A guide to radiation oncology: what the specialty and its research cover, radiotherapy techniques, how NCI and cooperative groups such as NRG Oncology…
Scholarly Writing
- AACR Abstract Submission: Guidelines & Checklist
A practical guide to the AACR abstract submission process, covering character limits, member sponsorship rules, structural requirements, and deadlines…
- ASCO Abstract Submission: Guidelines & Rules
A comprehensive guide to ASCO abstract submission, covering character counts, required sections, member sponsorship criteria, and clinical trial rules…
Laboratory Compliance & Quality
- CAP Cancer Protocols: Required Elements and Accreditation
What CAP cancer protocols require for accreditation: element types, in-scope specimens, the 90% synoptic target and how to handle new releases.…
Laboratory Equipment & Instrumentation
- EORTC QLQ-C30: Items, Scoring and Licensing
EORTC QLQ-C30 full form, domains, item-to-scale map, scoring arithmetic and licensing requirements for cancer quality-of-life studies.…
Research Integrity & Compliance
- Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) Models: Passage Drift, Host Strain, and Welfare Endpoints
A compliance-focused guide to patient-derived xenograft (PDX) oncology models: why serial passaging causes genetic/phenotypic drift, how immunodeficie…
