Journal decision profile

Nature Cancer

Medicine · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Nature Cancer's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 16.2, ranking Q1 in Oncology and 2 other subfields. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Nature PortfolioUnited StateseISSN 2662-1347
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Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
16.2

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 19.15.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED
331 daysmedian

Middle 50%: 235–519 days

57 of 100 PubMed-indexed articles · 57% coverage · 2024–2025

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
$11,690

Journal-level estimate only. Verify current charges, taxes, waivers, discounts, and article-type fees with the journal.

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At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iSubmission-to-acceptanceCalendar days from the received date to the accepted date in recent PubMed records. This includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not the time to first decision and not pure peer-review time. The radar uses a 0–100 cohort percentile with shorter observed timing plotted farther out; it does not measure review quality.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
16.22026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#319 / 1,358LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
49.8%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
2.89MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
331 daysIQR 235–519 DAYS
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
179 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share49.8%

356 of 715 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share16.8%

120 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI2.89×

Above field-year expectation

Source output rank#319

of 1,358 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 2.89, so its typical recent paper runs about 189% above its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

49.8% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2019–2025

32019
1582020
1612021
1832022
1772023
1942024
2042025

Recent work-type mix

715 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article94.7%
Erratum5%
Editorial0.1%
Letter0.1%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and medical subject coverage

OpenAlex topics show research communities; MeSH keeps the medical taxonomy recognizable.

Major MeSH signals

PubMed-indexed works

Select a MeSH signal to see how much Nature Cancer publishes on it, from PubMed counts for the last five complete years.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers54
CAR-T cell therapy research50
Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics42
Immunotherapy and Immune Responses24
Cancer Cells and Metastasis21
Immune cells in cancer21
Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations18
Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research18
RNA modifications and cancer18
Immune Cell Function and Interaction16
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-08-12. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 715 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
OncologyQ1
Cancer ResearchQ1
ImmunologyQ1
Q1
Subfield Quartile
B1
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#15
of 897 Oncology field journals
#15
among Q1 Oncology journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
1,214
H-Index
131
Fully Open Access
No
Recent OA Works
610
Subject Areas
OncologyCancer ResearchImmunology

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

Common questions about Nature Cancer

What is Nature Cancer's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Nature Cancer's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 16.2, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What quartile is Nature Cancer in?

Nature Cancer's best quartile is Q1. By OpenAlex subfield: Q1 in Oncology; Q1 in Cancer Research; Q1 in Immunology. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for Nature Cancer will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How long does Nature Cancer take from submission to acceptance?

Across 57 recent PubMed records with both dates, Nature Cancer took a median of 331 days from submission to acceptance; the middle half took 235–519 days. This interval includes editorial handling and revisions, so it is not the time to a first decision.

How much does it cost to publish in Nature Cancer?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $11,690 USD for Nature Cancer. This journal-level estimate may exclude taxes, waivers, discounts, or article-type fees, so confirm the current charge on the journal's website.

Which journals are alternatives to Nature Cancer?

Comparable journals include Cancer Cell, Trends in Cancer, Journal For Immunotherapy of Cancer, and Cancer Discovery. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

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