Aims & Scope

International Journal of Prostate Cancer (IJPC) publishes mechanistic research elucidating the molecular pathophysiology, biomarker discovery, and disease progression pathways of prostate cancer and related prostatic disorders.

Molecular Mechanisms Disease Pathways Biomarker Discovery Genetic Alterations Cellular Signaling

Note: We do NOT consider clinical treatment protocols, surgical techniques, patient management guidelines, or therapy outcome studies. Our focus is mechanistic understanding, not clinical practice.

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Research Scope: Tiered Structure

Molecular Biology & Genetics

Oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene inactivation mechanisms
Androgen receptor signaling pathways and splice variants
DNA repair defects and genomic instability
Epigenetic modifications in prostate carcinogenesis
Gene expression profiling and transcriptomic analysis
Familial prostate cancer genetics and hereditary risk factors

Typical fit: Characterization of novel PTEN loss mechanisms in prostate cancer progression through PI3K/AKT pathway dysregulation.

Cellular Pathophysiology

Prostate cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis mechanisms
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in metastatic progression
Tumor microenvironment interactions and stromal signaling
Angiogenesis pathways and vascular remodeling
Cancer stem cell biology and self-renewal mechanisms
Cellular metabolism and metabolic reprogramming

Typical fit: Investigation of hypoxia-induced metabolic shifts promoting castration-resistant prostate cancer phenotypes.

Biomarker Discovery & Validation

Novel molecular biomarkers for disease detection and stratification
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) isoforms and derivatives
Circulating tumor cells and liquid biopsy markers
MicroRNA and non-coding RNA biomarkers
Proteomic and metabolomic signatures
Prognostic and predictive marker validation studies

Typical fit: Identification of urinary exosomal RNA signatures distinguishing aggressive from indolent prostate cancer.

Disease Progression Mechanisms

Molecular pathways driving castration-resistance
Mechanisms of metastatic dissemination and organotropism
Neuroendocrine differentiation pathways
Immune evasion mechanisms and immunosuppressive networks
Bone metastasis microenvironment interactions
Benign prostatic hyperplasia pathogenesis and progression

Typical fit: Elucidation of AR-V7 splice variant mechanisms conferring resistance to androgen deprivation therapy.

Secondary Focus Areas

Epidemiology & Risk Factors

Molecular epidemiology studies linking genetic variants, environmental exposures, and dietary factors to prostate cancer risk. Population-based genomic studies identifying susceptibility loci and gene-environment interactions.

Pharmacology & Drug Mechanisms

Molecular mechanisms of drug action, resistance pathways, and pharmacogenomics. Target identification and validation for novel therapeutic development. Drug-induced cellular and molecular changes (not clinical efficacy studies).

Immunology & Tumor Immunity

Tumor-immune cell interactions, immune checkpoint mechanisms, and immunosuppressive pathways. Molecular basis of immunotherapy resistance. Innate and adaptive immune responses in prostate cancer microenvironment.

Endocrinology & Hormone Signaling

Androgen and estrogen receptor signaling mechanisms. Steroidogenesis pathways in prostate tissue. Molecular endocrinology of hormone-dependent and hormone-independent growth. Cross-talk between hormonal and growth factor pathways.

Computational & Systems Biology

Network analysis of prostate cancer pathways. Integrative multi-omics approaches. Computational modeling of disease progression. Machine learning for biomarker discovery and molecular classification (mechanistic focus, not clinical prediction tools).

Experimental Models & Methods

Novel in vitro and in vivo disease models. Patient-derived xenografts and organoid systems. Advanced molecular techniques for pathway analysis. Methodological innovations in prostate cancer research (ARRIVE guidelines required).

Emerging Research Areas (Selective Consideration)

Artificial Intelligence in Molecular Analysis: AI-driven discovery of molecular patterns, pathway networks, and biomarker signatures from omics data.

Single-Cell Genomics: Single-cell RNA sequencing revealing tumor heterogeneity, clonal evolution, and microenvironment complexity.

Spatial Transcriptomics: Spatially-resolved molecular profiling of tumor architecture and cell-cell interactions.

Extracellular Vesicles: Molecular cargo and signaling mechanisms of exosomes in prostate cancer progression and metastasis.

Microbiome Interactions: Molecular mechanisms linking urogenital microbiome composition to prostate cancer pathogenesis.

Senescence & Aging Pathways: Cellular senescence mechanisms in prostate carcinogenesis and therapy resistance.

Note: Emerging area submissions undergo additional editorial review to ensure strong mechanistic focus and methodological rigor. Preliminary or purely descriptive studies may be declined.

Explicitly Out of Scope

✗ Clinical Treatment Protocols & Surgical Techniques

Rationale: IJPC focuses on disease mechanisms, not clinical practice. Studies describing surgical approaches (radical prostatectomy techniques, brachytherapy protocols), treatment regimens (chemotherapy schedules, hormone therapy protocols), or comparative effectiveness of therapies belong in clinical oncology journals.

✗ Patient Outcomes & Quality of Life Studies

Rationale: Research on patient-reported outcomes, quality of life assessments, psychosocial impacts, erectile dysfunction management, or survivorship care falls outside our pathophysiology focus. These belong in clinical or health services research journals.

✗ Clinical Diagnostic Imaging & Screening Programs

Rationale: Studies evaluating imaging modalities (MRI, CT, ultrasound) for clinical diagnosis, screening program effectiveness, or digital rectal examination protocols are clinical applications. We consider imaging-based biomarker discovery with molecular validation, but not clinical imaging studies.

✗ Clinical Trial Results & Therapy Efficacy

Rationale: Phase II/III clinical trials, therapy response rates, survival analyses, and comparative treatment effectiveness studies are clinical research. We consider mechanistic studies of drug resistance or biomarkers predicting response, but not clinical efficacy trials.

✗ Healthcare Economics & Policy

Rationale: Cost-effectiveness analyses, healthcare delivery models, insurance coverage studies, and policy recommendations are outside our molecular/cellular scope. These belong in health economics or policy journals.

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Article Types & Editorial Priorities

Priority 1

Fast-Track Review (4-6 weeks)

Original Research Articles Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses Methods & Protocols Registered Reports

Priority 2

Standard Review (6-8 weeks)

Short Communications Data Notes Perspectives & Commentaries Technical Notes

Rarely Considered

Requires Strong Justification

Case Reports (molecular focus only) Opinion Pieces Letters to Editor

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Editorial Standards & Requirements

Reporting Guidelines

All submissions must follow appropriate reporting standards:

ARRIVE 2.0 MIQE PRISMA STROBE STARD

Data Transparency

Raw data, code, and materials must be deposited in public repositories (GEO, ArrayExpress, Zenodo, GitHub). Data availability statements required. Proprietary restrictions must be disclosed pre-submission.

Ethics & Reproducibility

IRB/IACUC approval required for human/animal studies. Cell line authentication mandatory. Antibody validation required (CiteAb, 1DegreeBio). Detailed methods enabling replication essential.

Preprint Policy

Preprints on bioRxiv, medRxiv, or arXiv welcomed and do not preclude submission. Authors must disclose preprint DOI. Preprint posting does not constitute prior publication.

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Decision Metrics & Timeline

Editorial Performance Indicators

21 days Median First Decision

28% Acceptance Rate

45 days Acceptance to Publication

Open APC Transparent

Ready to Submit?

If your research elucidates molecular mechanisms, identifies novel biomarkers, or advances mechanistic understanding of prostate cancer pathophysiology, we want to hear from you.

Contact Editorial Office

International Journal of Prostate Cancer

International Journal of Prostate Cancer – Aim And Scope