Advances and Challenges in Pediatric Surgical Oncology
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: pediatric oncology; head and neck cancer surgery; animal model; translational basic science research; clinical outcomes research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pediatric surgical oncology continues to evolve rapidly as advances in imaging, molecular diagnostics, and surgical innovation redefine what is possible for children with cancer. However, despite these strides, significant challenges persist—from variability in access to specialized surgical care to the ongoing underrepresentation of pediatric tumors in clinical research. Surgical management remains central to the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of many childhood cancers, and the field’s future depends on improving outcomes while minimizing long-term morbidity for a uniquely vulnerable population.
The Special Issue, “Advances and Challenges in Pediatric Surgical Oncology”, aims to bring together global perspectives, scientific progress, and expert insights that can help shape the next era of care. We invite submissions that highlight innovations in surgical techniques, multidisciplinary treatment approaches, perioperative optimization, disparities in care, outcomes research, and novel technologies such as precision imaging, robotics, and computational planning. Contributions addressing barriers to care delivery, strategies for improving survivorship and quality of life, and the development of specialized training pathways are especially welcome.
Our audience is multidisciplinary—pediatric surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurses, and all clinicians and scientists dedicated to improving cancer care for children. Through this collective effort, we aim to promote knowledge exchange, identify unmet needs, and inspire continued progress in the surgical management of pediatric malignancies.
Dr. Joseph Lopez
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- pediatric surgical oncology
- computer-assisted surgery
- quality care
- surgical outcomes
- reconstruction
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