In 2017, the editorial management team of Clinical & Experimental Metastasis decided to implement measures to improve the scientific basis of the journal. In this context, we now aim to strengthen the clinical and translational aspects of our journal’s portfolio while maintaining the publication of laboratory-based experimental data related to cancer metastasis. With this vision in mind, the journal recently appointed Prof. Dr. Jörg Haier as Editor-in-Chief for Clinical Science. Prof. Haier brings a breadth of experience to the journal. In addition to being a surgical oncologist, he has extensive know-how in both medical quality management, and also in laboratory-based metastasis-relevant research over many years.

The appointment of Prof. Haier provides an excellent foundation for Clinical & Experimental Metastasis to extend its remit strategically, and specifically to encourage clinical scientists and clinicians to consider publishing their work in the journal in the coming years. In order to ensure a state-of-the-art publication platform for clinical research, we have therefore adapted the Guidelines for Authors so that internationally recognised scientific standards for reporting clinical research are integrated in a comprehensive manner.

Clinical & Experimental Metastasis has therefore adopted the policy of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which defines a clinical trial as any research project that prospectively assigns human participants to intervention or comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between an intervention and a health outcome. Interventions include but are not limited to drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioural treatments, educational programs, dietary interventions, quality improvement interventions, process-of-care changes, and the like. All manuscripts reporting clinical trials, including those limited to secondary exploratory or post hoc analysis of trial outcomes, must follow the CONSORT guidelines for reporting clinical trials [1].

Manuscripts reporting clinical trial data as defined above will only be accepted for publication in Clinical & Experimental Metastasis if Good Clinical Practice (GCP) has been fully applied. ICH-GCP is an international ethical and scientific quality standard for designing, conducting, recording and reporting trials that involve the participation of human subjects. A flow diagram showing the progress of patients throughout the trial is compulsory. All clinical trials must be registered at an appropriate online public trial registry before submission of the manuscript to Clinical & Experimental Metastasis.

For clinical meta-analyses, the guidelines published by the EQUATOR network [2] must be considered (PRISMA). This manuscript type includes all articles with systematic, critical assessments of literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics, emphasizing factors such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. Similarly, reports concerning diagnostic tests and other results directly related to clinical applications and/or patient-related issues must follow EQUATOR Reporting Guidelines [3]. Reporting recommendations for tumor marker prognostic studies (REMARK) [4] also need to be considered if appropriate, and taken into account appropriately in submitted manuscripts.

The above guidelines have been integrated into the online and hardcopy Guidelines for Authors of the journal. Conformity to these guidelines will be used when considering submitted manuscripts for publication in Clinical & Experimental Metastasis.

Jörg Haier and Jonathan Sleeman

Editors-in-Chief