Cancer Cytopathology: Moving the field forward through research, discovery, and education

Along with the fields of oncology and medicine, cytopathology has seen wide-ranging changes over the past decade. In large part, these changes have been driven by major advances in tumor biology at the cellular and molecular levels. These advances have translated into customized patient therapies that often are defined by the molecular profile of an individual patient’s cancer. To address these changes, Cancer Cytopathology, the world’s leading cytology journal, will prioritize the dissemination of information pertaining to cytology in general, and to cancer diagnosis in particular, through the publication of outstanding original research articles, commentaries, and reviews by leading experts in the field. In this way, the journal will maintain and promote cytology as a key player in the complex and dynamic arena of health care. Cancer Cytopathology is 1 of 3 medical journals published by the American Cancer Society, each of which plays an important role on the world stage in helping to advance its respective area. Over a period of 2 decades, Cancer Cytopathology has developed from a section journal of Cancer into a separate subspecialty journal published bimonthly, to its current monthly publication timetable. During that timeframe, and under the initial stewardship of Dr. William Frable followed by the impressive leadership of Dr. Celeste N. Powers, Cancer Cytopathology has seen dramatic gains in readership, submissions, its impact factor, and citations. The journal currently has the highest impact factor in the field and the largest readership of any cytology journal, a tribute to the unparalleled dedication of its emerita Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Powers. Carrying on in this strong tradition as the journal’s third Editor-in-Chief, I will strive not only to maintain the principal status of Cancer Cytopathology, but to foster the journal’s fundamental role in the cytology community by supporting publications concerning cutting-edge topics in our field; maintaining a focus on quality and patient safety in cytopathology; increasing the number of review and commentary articles regarding key molecular topics; broadening the journal’s international outreach in Europe, South America, and Asia; and expanding access to essential publications through various social media outlets. The success of Cancer Cytopathology is a result of a team effort that begins with the entire cytology community, including cytotechnologists, cytopathologists, administrators, researchers, and other health care workers in both the academic and private practice sectors. Other key team members at the heart of the journal are the hardworking and innovative leaders of the editorial staff, Esmeralda Galán Buchanan and Daniel Nadolny. Rounding out this team effort are members of the Cancer Cytopathology editorial board, advisory board, and its 3 Associate Editors. Members of our advisory board play a very important part by working collectively to provide ideas for innovative topics and by soliciting articles for publication from top experts in the field. In addition to current members of the Cancer Cytopathology advisory board, we are pleased to welcome Drs. Vickie Jo, Sara Monaco, Michiya Nishino, and Gary Tse as new members beginning this month. Because associate editors are the backbone of a journal, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our 3 Associate Editors for Cancer Cytopathology: Dr. Jeffrey F. Krane, Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. Esther Diana Rossi, a pathologist in the Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology at the Agostino Gemelli School of Medicine of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy; and Dr. Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, Associate Professor of Pathology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. All 3 are very well known to the cytology community, and they each bring special skills, interests, and expertise to Cancer Cytopathology. As a team, we collectively look forward with great energy and enthusiasm to providing the readership with the latest and best in the field of cytopathology! Part of the current success of Cancer Cytopathology is due to several of its special content sections, which will continue on a regular basis and include award-winning, state-of-the-art articles in “CytoSource,” authored by Dr. Bryn Nelson and Dr. David Kaminsky; as well as timely articles regarding important cytology topics in “Bridging the Gap” by Dr. Diane Davey; and practical perspectives from our clinical colleagues in the section known as “Clinician’s Corner,” edited by Dr. Jeffrey Krane. In addition to these special content sections, future editions will emphasize content detailing the latest advances in molecular cytology, with Dr. Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri as the new editor of the “Molecular Minute” section of Cancer Cytopathology. In some cases, the “Molecular Minute” will include highly detailed articles regarding specific genes involved in cancer whereas other articles will highlight new molecular techniques or molecular advances linked to customized therapies. As key players in the performance, diagnosis, and reporting of patient biopsies from a variety of anatomic sites, cytologists must keep quality and safety at the forefront of what they do on a daily basis. This is especially true as our diagnostic practices become more complex with additional testing algorithms, more variations in workflow, and greater pressures for faster turnaround times. To this end, Dr. Yael K. Heher from the Department of Pathology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, will continue in her role providing Cancer Cytopathology with specialty articles concerning the latest topics in quality and patient safety. It is clear that social media is playing an ever-increasing role in our day-to-day lives and has multiplied exponentially in the health care field and academic sciences. From Facebook to Twitter to YouTube and beyond, there are enormous opportunities (as well as dangers) that require attention. Cancer Cytopathology already has established a solid presence in various social media forums. To ensure that the cytology community can fully benefit from the wealth of content that Cancer Cytopathology has to offer, I will focus on expanding our social media presence by forming a new social media and informatics section of Cancer Cytopathology. This new section will be headed by 2 individuals who have shown great skill in navigating this fast-paced area: Dr. Xiaoyin “Sara” Jiang, Associate Professor of Pathology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and Dr. Emilio Madrigal, a fellow in Clinical Informatics in the Department of Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to highlighting current trends in social media, this new section also will include information regarding innovations in informatics and other technological areas relevant to the practice of cytopathology. Special educational segments will be broadcast through our social media outlets that are especially useful to our junior cytology colleagues in the field. As the field of cytopathology confronts new challenges, incorporates new technologies, and evolves to meet the increasingly complex needs of our patients, it is more important than ever that the cytopathology community embraces its multinational connections. More and more, as a result of the globalization movement, the popularity of social media, and other worldwide trends in medicine and technology, the field has taken on a more international flavor. This is evident when one considers the growing diversity of attendees at various annual national and international conferences. It also is seen in the very successful movement toward universal reporting systems such as the Bethesda, Paris, and Milan systems, among others, for selected subsets of cytology. To further recognize and promote cytopathology as an international field, Cancer Cytopathology will begin featuring a new special content section known as “International Perspectives in Cytology.” I have appointed 2 co-editors of this new section: our Associate Editor Dr. Esther Diana Rossi and Dr. Liron Pantanowitz of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania. The new section will inform readers about the latest international trends in cytology, provide interviews with key international leaders in cytology, and update readers on advances in various local cytology societies around the globe. Finally, I am sure that the cytology community shares my belief that we must play a role in reaching out to audiences in underserved areas of the world. In part through our social media forum and by developing other outlets for disseminating information, Cancer Cytopathology is assessing new ways to share its content with underserved places and populations. In summary, it is an honor to begin serving as the third Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Cytopathology. I see an important role for the journal in functioning as a conduit of knowledge, promoting international collaboration and advances with the overall goal of improving patient care. Through the combined efforts of the many individuals in the broad cytopathology community, Cancer Cytopathology has become a resource helping us all to move the field of cytology forward through research, discovery, and education. The editorial leadership team assembled by Dr. Faquin strives to fulfill his vision for the journal. We need to identify quality contributions from all over the world, and then serve authors and readers alike by providing timely reviews with rapidly disseminated publication of important work via traditional means and newer avenues such as social media. As I take over responsibility for the “Clinician’s Corner” section of Cancer Cytopathology, I hope to offer fresh perspectives concerning the evolving interface between cytology and clinical practice, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities facing cytology practitioners today and in the future. Below, the incoming Associate Editors of Cancer Cytopathology share their vision, insights, and expectations for the new term. Welcome Jeff, Diana, and Sinchita! Cancer Cytopathology is the leading journal in the field, and has published many milestones in the field of cytology. My vision as an Associate Editor is for Cancer Cytopathology to become the conduit of choice for the global cytology community. More widespread international publications help cytologists to better understand the role of cytology in different countries, stimulate valuable ideas and discussion, and catalyze opportunities for collaboration. I therefore am pleased to promote novel contributions to the journal that represent international perspectives of cytopathology from all around the world. I am pleased to announce the launch of a new section in the journal called “International Perspectives in Cytology.” This section will be co-edited by an excellent cytopathologist, colleague, and researcher, Dr. Liron Pantanowitz. Together with the support of our esteemed editorial board, we hope that this format will expand and diversify the abilities of our readers, authors, and peer reviewers by delivering timely international news, advancements, and scientific research in the field. On a personal note, I am incredibly privileged to be an Associate Editor of Cancer Cytopathology, and we are ready to enter a new age following the brilliant path built by our amazing previous Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Celeste N. Powers. We excitedly and optimistically anticipate a vibrant future, with our journal poised to bring readers the information necessary to become active participants and protagonists in the future of cytology. Cancer Cytopathology has a strong presence in the field of academic pathology through its high impact factor, fast turnaround times, and quality publications, and has established itself as the highest ranking cytopathology journal. With an increasing number of molecular assays being used in pathology for diagnostic and theranostic purposes, the need for cytopathologists to integrate and implement these tests into their routine clinical practice is constantly expanding. Cytopathologists, therefore, must remain up to date with the rapid pace of biomarker discovery and the growing number of molecular assays to make judicious use of the available armamentarium. My vision as an Associate Editor is for Cancer Cytopathology to be a window to the molecular world by soliciting relevant articles that help cytopathologists to better understand the role of molecular diagnostics within the context of their everyday clinical practice and stay abreast of novel discoveries that improve patient care. The “Molecular Minute” section has started on a great note, and I hope to continue the journey by leading the section with cutting-edge molecular topics that will make it a sought-after resource for molecular cytopathology.