What is this collection about?
Pediatric cancers are malignancies diagnosed in children and adolescents and are characterized by distinct biological and clinical features compared with adult cancers. Despite significant advances in treatment over recent decades, pediatric cancer continues to pose major clinical challenges. While survival rates have improved for some childhood cancers, many rare and aggressive malignancies still lack effective treatments, and survivors often face lifelong treatment-related complications. The unique developmental and genetic processes underlying these malignancies require dedicated research to better understand their etiology and to develop safer, more effective, and targeted treatments for children and adolescents.
With this cross-journal Collection, the editors at Communications Medicine, Nature Communications, npj Precision Oncology, Communications Health, and Scientific Reports invite manuscripts that highlight advances across the pediatric cancer spectrum, from disease mechanism to clinical application and long-term outcomes. It will highlight the distinct developmental and molecular features of childhood malignancies, including genomic, epigenetic and single-cell insights, alongside innovations in diagnostics. The scope includes translational and clinical research on precision therapies, immunotherapies, and resistance mechanisms across tumor types, as well as advances in trial design. The Collection will also address survivorship, treatment toxicity, and quality of life, alongside global challenges in access and equity. Together, it aims to provide a comprehensive view of current progress and future directions in improving outcomes for children with cancer. Communications Medicine, Nature Communications, Communications Health, and npj Precision Oncology will consider original Articles, Reviews and Perspectives. Scientific Reports will consider original Articles.
Why is this collection important?
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) – Good Health and Well-being, by advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and equitable care of pediatric cancers to improve health outcomes for children and adolescents worldwide.
Why submit to a collection?
Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by In-House Editors who are experts in their fields and supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.
Who is involved?
Communications Medicine is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.
Nature Communications is edited by in-house professional editors.
Communications Health is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.
npj Precision Oncology is edited by a team of external academic editors.
Scientific Reports is edited by both in-house professional editors and Editorial Board Members.
Our editors work closely together to ensure the quality of our published papers and consistency in author experience.
How can I submit my paper?
Visit the Collection page to find out more about this collection and submit your article.