Internationally renowned oncologist David Kerr, MD, DSc, will serve as founding Editor-in-Chief of the new ASCO publication, Journal of Global Oncology (JGO).
JGO will be the first journal focused exclusively on cancer research, treatment, and care delivery in middle- and low-resource countries with per capita gross national incomes between $1,000 and $12,000.1 The first issue of JGO is scheduled for publication in the fall. The journal will highlight issues in global oncology in six annual issues. The publication will be online only and open access.
More than 60% of new annual cases of cancer occur in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America, regions that account for 70% of the world’s cancer deaths,2 according to the World Health Organization.
“This journal will give a voice to oncologists in resource-constrained countries,” said Dr. Kerr.
JGO will likely include articles focusing on different countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, India, South America, and Southeast Asia. The publication will shed light on the particular issues each country faces regarding cancer care.
“We know that there is significant geographic variation in the types of cancer found in different regions of the world,” said Dr. Kerr. “For example, it has been estimated that half of all the world’s cases of liver cancer can be found in China.”
Work Underway
JGO has selected an editorial board and issued the first call for submissions in early spring. The articles will cover epidemiology, health policy, barriers to care, cancer treatment, and palliative care.
All articles will go through a peer-review process. The editorial team expects numerous submissions, especially from international contributors.
Highly Experienced Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Kerr, currently a Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Oxford, has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on colorectal cancer. His research encompasses drug development, gene therapy, and general medicine.
Among his many honors, Dr. Kerr is an Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, and an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the European Academy of Cancer Sciences, as well as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Dr. Kerr is Past President of the European Society of Medical Oncology, and has served on many medical society international committees and working groups. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Oncology and has served on the editorial boards of Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, Seminars in Oncology, Molecular Oncology, and Chinese Clinical Oncology.
A longtime advocate for addressing cancer in resource-constrained countries, Dr. Kerr was among the first to recognize the need for action in Africa. In 2007, he organized the first African Cancer Reform Convention in London. Shortly thereafter, he cofounded the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation, an organization dedicated to forging partnerships with African countries to assist with implementing cancer prevention and control programs.
“There’s still plenty of juice in the old lemon yet to tackle a new project of this magnitude and importance,” he said. “Together, all of us in the wider cancer community have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference.”
For additional information about JGO, visit GlobalOncologyJournal.org. ■
References
1. The World Bank: New country classifications. News post, July 2, 2013. Available at data.worldbank.org/news/new-country-classifications. Accessed March 10, 2015.
2. World Health Organization: Cancer. Fact sheet, February 2015. who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/. Accessed March 10, 2015.
Originally printed in ASCO Daily News. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. “New ASCO Journal to Focus on Cancer in Resource-Constrained Countries.” ASCO Daily News 18(1), 2015: 4. All rights reserved.
