Journal of Multi-Cancer Early Detection and Liquid Biopsy

Aim

The Journal of Multi-Cancer Early Detection and Liquid Biopsy aims to advance scientific understanding and clinical application of emerging approaches for the early detection, molecular characterization, and monitoring of cancer. The journal provides an international platform for original research, critical reviews, clinical studies, and methodological advances addressing the identification and validation of cancer-associated biomarkers, the development of sensitive and reliable liquid biopsy technologies, and the evaluation of multi-cancer early detection strategies.

Particular emphasis is placed on research that bridges molecular discovery and clinical practice, including the detection of cancer-associated signals in blood and other biological fluids, the integration of genomic and multi-omic information, and the application of computational methods to improve diagnostic accuracy and interpretation. The journal also seeks to strengthen the evidence supporting the clinical utility of emerging detection technologies through analytical validation, prospective clinical studies, screening research, and real-world evaluation.

By bringing together researchers in oncology, molecular biology, laboratory medicine, bioinformatics, and clinical diagnostics, the journal seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and responsible innovation in cancer detection. It welcomes research addressing both the potential and the limitations of emerging technologies, with the broader objective of improving early diagnosis, informing clinical decision-making, and supporting better cancer outcomes.

Scope

The journal welcomes original research, systematic and narrative reviews, meta-analyses, clinical and translational studies, technical reports, and other scholarly contributions relevant to multi-cancer early detection and liquid biopsy. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Multi-Cancer Early Detection and Screening

Research on approaches designed to identify signals associated with multiple cancer types through a single test or integrated diagnostic platform. Topics include early-stage cancer detection, screening strategies, risk stratification, tissue-of-origin prediction, screening algorithms, and the clinical evaluation of multi-cancer detection technologies.

Liquid Biopsy Technologies and Method Development

Advances in the isolation, enrichment, detection, and characterization of cancer-associated material from blood, plasma, serum, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, and other relevant biological specimens. Contributions may address pre-analytical variables, sample preparation, assay standardization, analytical sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and technological innovation.

Circulating Tumour Biomarkers

Research involving circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating RNA, microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, exosomes, proteins, metabolites, and other molecular or cellular biomarkers associated with cancer development and progression.

Cancer Genomics, Epigenomics, and Multi-Omics

Studies investigating somatic mutations, DNA methylation, chromatin-associated signatures, genomic alterations, fragmentomic patterns, transcriptomic profiles, proteomic signatures, metabolomic markers, and integrated multi-omic approaches for cancer detection and classification.

Molecular Diagnostics and Emerging Detection Platforms

Development and evaluation of next-generation sequencing, digital PCR, targeted molecular assays, ultrasensitive detection systems, biosensors, spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and other emerging analytical platforms relevant to cancer biomarker detection.

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Computational Oncology

Applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistical modelling, bioinformatics, and data integration in biomarker discovery, signal classification, cancer risk prediction, tissue-of-origin assessment, assay interpretation, and the development of multi-cancer detection algorithms. Studies addressing model validation, reproducibility, interpretability, and generalizability are particularly encouraged.

Clinical Validation and Diagnostic Performance

Analytical and clinical validation of liquid biopsy assays and multi-cancer detection tests, including sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, stage-specific performance, false-positive and false-negative results, calibration, and independent validation across different populations and clinical settings.

Translational Oncology and Clinical Applications

Research examining the role of liquid biopsy and multi-cancer detection in clinical pathways, including diagnostic triage, risk assessment, treatment planning, monitoring of minimal residual disease, recurrence detection, and the identification of molecular changes associated with cancer progression. Studies should clearly distinguish early-detection applications from applications involving patients with an established cancer diagnosis.

Clinical Trials and Population-Based Research

Prospective and retrospective clinical studies, screening trials, longitudinal cohort studies, and population-based investigations evaluating the feasibility, effectiveness, safety, and clinical utility of emerging cancer detection approaches. Research on stage shift, diagnostic resolution, downstream investigations, patient outcomes, and cancer-related mortality is within scope.

Implementation Science, Health Economics, and Equity

Studies addressing cost-effectiveness, accessibility, implementation in healthcare systems, patient acceptability, health disparities, screening uptake, and the practical challenges of introducing multi-cancer detection technologies into clinical practice, including resource-constrained settings.

Research Integrity, Ethics, and Responsible Clinical Translation

Research addressing informed consent, data governance, privacy, incidental findings, communication of uncertain results, overdiagnosis, potential harms of screening, equitable access, and ethical considerations in the development and clinical deployment of novel cancer detection technologies.

Article Types

The journal considers original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, brief communications, methodological studies, clinical and translational research, case-based reports where scientifically justified, and perspectives or commentaries relevant to its scope. All submissions are subject to editorial assessment and appropriate peer review.

Keywords

Multi-cancer early detection; Liquid biopsy; Cancer screening; Circulating tumour DNA; Cell-free DNA; Cancer biomarkers; Molecular diagnostics; Cancer genomics; DNA methylation; Multi-omics; Artificial intelligence in oncology; Tissue-of-origin prediction; Early-stage cancer detection; Translational oncology; Clinical validation