Journal profile · Respiratory System
Journal of Thoracic Oncology
ISSN 1556-0864 · eISSN 1556-1380 · International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 2006
Journal of Thoracic Oncology: CAS Zone 1 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 22.69; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,100; median 91 days to acceptance (89 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 2,653 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Thoracic Oncology is published by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and is in Zone 1 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations, Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment and Lung Cancer Research Studies, together about 50.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine and Oncology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, is the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. JTO emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach and includes original research reviews and opinion pieces. The audience includes epidemiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and research scientists with a special interest in thoracic oncology. The journal is interested in receiving manuscripts dealing with epidemiology, prevention, screening, early detection, staging, cure, and treatment of thoracic malignancies. Submissions on tobacco control and cessation are of interest, particularly where there is direct relevance to lung cancer epidemiology and therapeutic outcomes. The Journal also welcomes submissions on pathologic and histologic classification and novel imaging and bronchoscopic approaches. Submissions regarding novel systemic therapies, particularly in the fields of biomarker targets, genomics, immunology, and cellular therapies are of interest. Novel radiotherapy and surgical techniques are of interest. Submission of randomized phase II and phase III trials, as well as meta analyses of individual participant data, are encouraged. Basic science studies must have direct clinical and translational relevance.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Respiratory System
Editor-in-chief Alex AdjeiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 29, Japan 9, Italy 7, Mainland China 4, South Korea 4 (91 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Lung Cancer Treatments and MutationsMedicine23.7%
- Lung Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine16.2%
- Lung Cancer Research StudiesMedicine10.6%
- Cancer Immunotherapy and BiomarkersMedicine7%
- Radiomics and Machine Learning in Medical ImagingMedicine5.4%
- Cancer Genomics and DiagnosticsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and StudiesMedicine3.8%
- Gastric Cancer Management and OutcomesMedicine2.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Oncology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Respiratory System | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Oncology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Respiratory System | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Oncology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Respiratory System | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
Other: Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 22.69LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 23.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 33.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 33.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 7.5LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 5.14LetPub ·
- h-index
- 113LetPub ·
- h-index
- 225OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,510OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.3OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 27.6%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 108LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 28,576 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 503 | 97 | 174 |
| 2025 | 2,653 | 889 | 2,060 |
| 2024 | 1,845 | 1,807 | 4,287 |
| 2023 | 2,165 | 2,165 | 7,059 |
| 2022 | 1,401 | 1,401 | 7,148 |
| 2021 | 2,686 | 2,683 | 20,132 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
91 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 53 days – 116 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 8 days (74 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 104 days
- Sample
- 89 articles with submission and acceptance dates (572 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 3–6 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 33 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,100 / EUR 3,840 / GBP 3,280 / JPY 508,520 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,100 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 3–5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 4,000 words
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- brief reportementary materials into one PDF file. . Brief Reports: Articles having a maximum of 1500 words, up to 3 tables and/or figures and an abstract with a highlmain text ≤ 1,500 words · references ≤ 15
- case reportReports highlighting unusual presentations of malignancy, treatment outcome, toxicity, etc. Submissions must be a total of 1000 words or less and may include up…main text ≤ 1,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 3 · references ≤ 5
- editorial. Include "Brief Report:" in the title. Editorials/Views/Commentaries: Should not exceed 1500 words with no more than 15 references.For editorials, only invitemain text ≤ 1,500 words · references ≤ 15
- letters to the editorThe Editorial Board reserves the right to decline publishing insulting or inflammatory comments in letters to the editor. Letters should be a short and concise …main text ≤ 500 words · references ≤ 5
- original articleOur intent is to publish high quality research as it relates to clinical trials, outcome analyses, translational research, cost utility analyses, etc.These arti…main text ≤ 4,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 6 · references ≤ 50
- rapid communicationThis article type describes novel findings in a rapid and concise report format. It should be brief in nature but is of general interest to the field.Authors: N…main text ≤ 1,000 words · references ≤ 1
- review articleWill be mostly by invitation. Prospective authors are urged to contact the editors prior to submitting uninvited reviews. These articles should be no longer tha…main text ≤ 4,000 words · references ≤ 75
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies
For AuthorsApplying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased.The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process. AI use A…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Author contributions
For transparency, we encourage corresponding authors to provide co-author contributions to the manuscript using the relevant CRediT roles. The CRediT taxonomy includes 14 different roles describing each contributor's specific contribution to the scholarly output. The roles are: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administratio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosure Statement of Conflict of Interest
Abstract - (structured or unstructured) Introduction - What is unique about this case and what does it add to the scientific literature?The patient's main concerns and important clinical findings.The primary diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes.Conclusion - What are one or more "take-away" lessons from this case report? Introduction - Briefly summarizes why this case is unique and may include me…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (see more information on this). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles includ…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.Please note CC BY licenses are available only by request for authors whose funding bodies require it.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
This journal operates a single anonymized review process. All contributions are typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final. Editors are not involved in decisions about papers which they have written themse…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Please note that preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints e.g. on a preprint server will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2006
- ISSN
- 1556-0864
- Electronic ISSN
- 1556-1380
- Society / sponsor
- International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Thoracic Oncology
What CAS zone is Journal of Thoracic Oncology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Thoracic Oncology is in Zone 1 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Oncology / Respiratory System; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Thoracic Oncology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 22.69; CiteScore 33.4, h-index 225.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Thoracic Oncology?
Based on the dates recorded on 89 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 91 days (interquartile range 53–116 days); authors report an average review time of 3–6 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Thoracic Oncology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 3–5; Manuscript length: ≤ 4,000 words; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Thoracic Oncology based?
Of the 91 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (29), Japan (9) and Italy (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Thoracic Oncology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Thoracic Oncology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Thoracic Oncology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Thoracic Oncology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,100.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .