Our keywords

In this editorial, Alberto Costa, who has taken over from Kathy Redmond, pays tribute to her achievements, reaffirms the magazine’s founding principles, and flags up changes to style and content that will expand the reach of Cancer World and make it easier for readers to join the discussions.

Education and knowledge through people and facts” was the strapline that came to me when I got the green light from the Board of the European School of Oncology, and our Sustaining Partners, to launch our own scientific magazine.

I’d had on my mind comments from some of the best students attending our Clinical Masterclass about wanting something that would let them learn more, but in a lighter way: “Something I’m able to read when I’m on my train home or when I’m on night duty,” was how one of them put it.

This is how Cancer World was born, nearly 15 years ago, appearing initially under the title Cancer Futures, published by Springer, and then relaunched under its current title when production was moved in-house.

Under the leadership of Kathy Redmond, a former lecturer and leading light in cancer nursing at University College Dublin, who’d gained extensive policy experience at national and European levels, Cancer World quickly grew in competence and confidence.

With thousands of copies distributed by post and at meetings and congresses, the ESO magazine soon established itself as a respected brand that could be found in the offices of countless cancer professionals and in the libraries of most European cancer centres.

Keywords of Cancer World include: editorial independence – backed by ESO’s own independent financial resources; clinical science – e-Grand Round is the most widely read section; personal experiences – leading figures who shape the world we work in have talked in our Cover Story of the influences that shaped their own careers; and patients’ voices – insights and views from the patient advocate community are an essential component of Cancer World.

With this issue we wish to pay tribute to Kathy Redmond for that mixture of hard work and inspiration that has earned Cancer World a reputation as one of the most reliable and up-to-date oncology publications in Europe.

We plan to build on this success. From January next year, we will increase the number of copies we print to double the number of people who can access this high-quality content. We will continue to seek out significant news in science and medicine, and tell the stories of inspirational people who are making a lasting contribution to improving the way things are done.

At the same time we will address the big challenges in improving access to high-quality cancer care, taking a critical look at the policies, practices and vested interests that stand in the way of making faster progress.

This will be reflected in some design changes to make Cancer World slimmer and more nimble. We will also streamline the online magazine with thecancerblog.net and our social media. The heart of Cancer World will still be about quality and education. This is an inclusive discussion, and we want more of you to join in.