ASCO has announced the appointment of David Kerr, MD, DSc, as founding Editor-in-Chief of the Society’s new Journal of Global Oncology (JGO). Dr. Kerr will set the editorial scope and vision for JGO, an online-only, open-access journal, which will focus on cancer care, research, and care-delivery issues unique to countries and settings with limited health-care resources.
It is estimated that today nearly two-thirds of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and this is forecast to increase to 70% by 2030. While some journals publish special issues and sections focused on global oncology, currently there are no journals solely dedicated to this area of research. The inaugural issue of JGO will publish later this year and feature high-quality original research, editorials, and other articles that address the unique challenges of cancer care in low- and middle-income countries.
‘A Peer-Reviewed Platform’
“The Journal of Global Oncology will fulfill a growing need in clinical oncology literature, by providing a peer-review platform for authors to publish research on the array of challenges that low- and middle-income countries face in conducting research and caring for patients with cancer,” said ASCO President Peter Paul Yu, MD, FASCO. “Dr. Kerr’s distinguished oncology career and expertise in the international research community are valuable assets to this exciting new project, and we are thrilled to have his leadership to help guide the journal’s launch.”
Dr. Kerr is Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford, Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals Trust, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a past President of the European Society of Medical Oncology and has served on numerous medical society international committees and working groups. Dr. Kerr cofounded the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation and has fostered international collaborations with organizations around the world that share the goal of improving cancer research and care. He has published countless peer-reviewed articles and has served on the editorial boards of several prestigious oncology journals, including the Annals of Oncology (former Editor-in-Chief).
“There is a growing need for high-quality clinical cancer research in low- and middle-income countries, and I am honored to support the Society’s vision to help improve cancer care and delivery in these areas,” said Dr. Kerr.
The Journal of Global Oncology is funded through the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO, with the support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Novartis Oncology. ■
