JAMA Oncology

JAMA Oncology is a peer-reviewed medical journal specializing in cancer research, clinical oncology, and translational medicine. Launched by the American Medical Association, it serves as a vehicle for clinical trials, epidemiology, health services research, and policy-relevant analyses. The journal aims to bridge laboratory discoveries and clinical application by publishing original investigations, reviews, editorials, and practice guidelines that influence care delivered in hospitals, clinics, and cancer centers.

History

The journal was established in 2015 by the American Medical Association during a period of rapid expansion in specialty publishing, joining a family that includes Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA Internal Medicine, and JAMA Pediatrics. Its founding coincided with advances in precision oncology exemplified by events such as the approval of targeted therapies like those developed following discoveries at institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Early editorial board members included scholars who had previously published in outlets such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Oncology, and Nature Medicine. The inaugural issues featured research linked to large cooperative groups and consortia, including the National Cancer Institute's clinical trials network and collaborations with international bodies like European Society for Medical Oncology and American Society of Clinical Oncology. Over its first decade the journal paralleled milestones such as approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for immune checkpoint inhibitors and the integration of genomic profiling promoted by efforts at The Broad Institute and The Sanger Institute.

Scope and Content

JAMA Oncology publishes original research across the continuum of oncology, including clinical trials, translational studies, observational epidemiology, biomarker development, and implementation science. Examples of topics include targeted therapies informed by work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, immunotherapy regimens similar to those investigated by researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and population-based analyses referencing data sources like the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and registries maintained by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The journal also addresses health policy and guideline development discussed at meetings such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting and the European Cancer Congress. Reviews and viewpoints often engage with foundational studies published in outlets like Science Translational Medicine, Cell, and Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. Content occasionally intersects with big-data initiatives exemplified by projects at National Institutes of Health, collaborations with Genentech, and multicenter trials coordinated through networks such as EORTC.

Editorial Leadership and Peer Review

Editorial leadership has been drawn from prominent oncology centers, with editors and associate editors who have affiliations at institutions including Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco. The editorial model follows standards comparable to those of The BMJ and Annals of Oncology, employing external peer reviewers recruited from academic centers such as Yale School of Medicine, University of Chicago, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Manuscripts undergo initial editorial screening for methodological rigor and ethical compliance consistent with guidance from organizations like the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and reporting standards exemplified by the CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials group. Conflicts of interest and data transparency are managed in line with expectations set by regulators and funders, including the Wellcome Trust and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, while clinical trial registration mirrors policies of registries like ClinicalTrials.gov.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and abstracting services widely used in clinical and research communities. Listings include databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, which also index titles like The Lancet and JAMA. Coverage in these resources supports discoverability alongside other specialty journals like Cancer Cell and Leukemia. Abstracting in citation indexes enables tracking of metrics used by institutions and funders including Clarivate Analytics and bibliometric assessments applied by universities such as University of Oxford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Inclusion in library catalogs and holdings at institutions like National Library of Medicine ensures availability for clinicians at hospitals like Mayo Clinic and research performed at centers such as Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Impact and Reception

The journal has influenced clinical practice and research priorities through publication of high-profile randomized trials, real-world evidence studies, and evidence syntheses cited by guideline committees and professional societies such as American Society of Clinical Oncology and National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Its articles have been discussed in media outlets that also cover medical research, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and specialty reporting by Nature News. Citation metrics place the journal among influential oncology publications alongside titles like Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, and its articles have contributed to shifts in treatment paradigms involving targeted agents, immunotherapies, and screening strategies established by panels convened at institutions such as UCLA and Columbia University. Academic reception has included both praise for rigorous trial reporting and critique regarding translation of findings to diverse healthcare settings, a topic addressed in debates at conferences including the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting and symposia at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Category:Medical journals Category:Oncology journals Category:Publications established in 2015