Practical Radiation Oncology: Instructions for Authors

Submission Information

This page contains information specific to Practical Radiation Oncology article types. For the full submission instructions, please visit the ASTRO Journals Author Instructions page.

To submit your manuscript, please use our online submission system.

For questions regarding submissions, please email the PRO editorial office.

Copy Editing and Translation Services Available

ASTRO is pleased to partner with Editage to offer a 10% discount for authors seeking copy editing and translation services. Please use this Author Services link to receive the discount. These services are offered for the benefit of authors, and individuals who participate will remain anonymous. Copy editing and translation are provided by Editage.

Scope

The overarching mission of Practical Radiation Oncology is to improve the quality of radiation oncology practice. PRO's purpose is to document the state of current practice, providing background for those in training and continuing education for practitioners, through discussion and illustration of new techniques, evaluation of current practices, and publication of case reports. PRO strives to provide its readers content that emphasizes knowledge "with a purpose."

For more information about the scope of all three ASTRO journals, please see our scope document.

PRO is the sister publication to the International Journal of Radiation Oncology●Biology●Physics and Advances in Radiation Oncology. Learn more about which types of papers the journals typically accept.

PRO can be accessed online at www.practicalradonc.org.

Submission Checklist

Title Page Template

ASTRO provides a checklist and title page template to help facilitate new submissions and revisions.

Article Types and Guidelines

Please note that as of January 1, 2020, Practical Radiation Oncology will no longer accept Teaching Cases.

Original Reports

• Manuscript ≤ 4000 words, tables and figures ≤ 8 references ≤ 50, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Structured Abstract (≤ 300 words)
  • Anonymized Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure captions if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

• Original Reports are thoroughly reviewed for scientific originality, significance, relevance, and priority, and the topics must be of interest to the journal's readers. PRO only accepts original reports that are likely to have a practical impact on the field of radiation oncology.

Critical Reviews

• Manuscript ≤ 4500 words, figures ≤ 8, references ≤ 50, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Structured Abstract ≤ 300 words
  • Anonymized Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure captions if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• The Editor-in-Chief typically solicits Critical Reviews, but authors may submit an unsolicited review for consideration. The manuscript must present significant new information to justify publication. Critical Reviews will be reviewed in the same manner as Original Reports.

Technical Reports

• Manuscript ≤ 1,500 words, figures ≤ 8 references ≤ 50, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Anonymized Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure Legends if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

• PRO invites technical reports, which are brief 2-3 page descriptions of new developments, devices or procedures. Technical Reports are concerned with innovations that might enhance practice or address specific challenges in radiation oncology.

Morbidity and Mortality Conference 

• Manuscript ≤ 1500 words, Figures and Tables ≤ 6, References ≤ 15, authors ≤ 10 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Anonymized Manuscript with major subsections:
    • Clinical Scenario
    • Evidence-based Discussion (including multidisciplinary input as appropriate)
    • Management Summary
    • Implications for Future Practice and Research
  • References
  • Figure Legends if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

• Articles in this category use a formal structure to analyze a situation involving serious morbidity (including mortality) related to radiation therapy. The main issue may be based on a single patient experience or aggregate data.

Editorials

• Manuscript ≤ 1500 words, references ≤ 10, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter).

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• The Editor-in-Chief may solicit an Editorial to accompany an accepted manuscript. Authors may submit editorials that stand on their own merit or relate to important research published in this or another journal.

Topic Discussion

• Manuscript ≤ 1500 words, Figures and Tables ≤ 8, References ≤ 10, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure Legends if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

• Articles in this category discuss or explain something of interest to the PRO audience. A Topic Discussion may present an opinion, review other papers, clarify an issue, explain how to use a technology or do a procedure. Topic Discussions are generally invited but we welcome unsolicited articles. Discussion with a PRO editor prior to submission is highly recommended.

Contour Clinic

• Manuscript ≤ 1,000 words, Figures and Tables ≤ 8, References ≤ 10, authors ≤ 3
• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure Legends
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

PRO Contour Clinic Model Example: Breast Cancer Regional Nodal CTV

Case Summary and Images

Provide a case summary with all the information needed to make the appropriate contour decisions.

Which Clinical Target Volume contours are the most appropriate?

List at least 2 answer options labeled A, B, etc. for each answer option (Minimum of 2 answer options, maximum of 4).;

1. Lumpectomy cavity alone
2. Lumpectomy cavity, and limited axilla (level 3 only)
3. Lumpectomy cavity and axilla (levels 1, 2, 3)
4. Lumpectomy cavity, axilla, supraclavicular and internal mammary nodes

Show 2-4 simulation images with contour options visible. Multiple images may be consolidated into a single panel (e.g., 4 axial CT slices paired side by side with corresponding image fusion). Additional imaging planes (sagittal or coronal) can be included if they add additional value. Images should be a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) or 1200 x 1600 pixels (2 megapixels). The number and size of the images is limited by the requirement that all color images will take up no more than one page in the published paper. Contours should be of appropriate thickness and color to allow it to be easily seen. For most submissions the line colors will be: red, yellow, blue or green, and white or black. Anatomy of interest that is referenced in the text could be shown with a colored arrow and described in the figure legend. If an author would like to include a link to a video that scrolls through image sets, submit video as Supplemental Material in mp4 format.

Expert Commentary

Answer: A, B, C, or D

The commentary should include a discussion of the clinical relevance of the decision regarding the contours, and the rationale for the author to choose the contour selected. If there is legitimate controversy about the best answer, explain the controversy and why the author prefers one option over others. Include key images from reference material as needed to educate readers.

Contouring the XXX: “How I Do It”

In a “How I do it” subsection, the author should offer a detailed description of the contouring approach using anatomical landmarks. The authors may include practical insight including pearls and pitfalls as it relates to decision making around contouring. For example: Are there methods (contrast, imaging) which can improve accuracy of delineation? What circumstances might result in a variation in contour? Address what you perceive may be common errors in contouring. Planning details such as planning target volume expansion, dose, organs at risk, and image guidance are not required but may be briefly mentioned provided that the primary focus is on the decision making around the clinical target volume.

Correspondence

• Manuscript ≤ 400 words, references ≤ 10, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• Authors may respond to a published article or express an opinion in a short, freestanding piece. If the Correspondence refers to a published article, the Editor-in-Chief may choose to invite a reply from the original authors. Correspondence is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief for possible inclusion in the journal.

Errata

• Manuscript ≤ 200 words, tables and figures ≤ 1, references ≤ 5, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure captions if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• Authors are encouraged to report errors in their work to correct the literature. Errata are published in the printed journal and linked back to the original manuscript electronically. The Editor-in-Chief makes all decisions on whether errata are published.

Special Articles

• Manuscript ≤ 4000 words, tables and figures ≤ 8 references ≤ 50, authors ≤ 20

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Structured Abstract (≤ 300 words)
  • Anonymized Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure captions if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• Special Articles are manuscripts whose content and style do not fall under the categories of Original Reports or Critical Reviews. These may include but are not limited to guidelines, summaries of consensus meetings, and other scholarly communications.

Narrative Oncology

• Manuscript ≤ 1500 words, figures ≤ 8 references ≤ 50, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript>
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• PRO invites Narrative Oncology commentaries that describe the unique challenges in the radiation oncology profession throughout the world. Narrative Oncology articles are generally written in the first person and may take a variety of artistic forms (for example, poetry). These commentaries are generally invited but we also welcome unsolicited articles of this type.

Lessons from Art and Literature

• Manuscript ≤ 1500 words, Figures and Tables ≤ 2, References ≤ 5, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • References
  • Figure Legends if figures are present
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)
  • Data Sharing Statement

• Essays in this category describe a lesson from art or the non-medical literature that is valuable to the PRO audience. These essays are generally invited but we welcome unsolicited articles. Discussion with a PRO editor prior to submission is highly recommended. The subject of these essays may be a book (fiction or nonfiction), poem, painting, drawing, photograph, sculpture or other form of artistic expression.

Interesting Images

• Manuscript ≤ 400 words, authors ≤ 15 (please include justification for any exceptions in the cover letter)

• Required Elements:
  • Title page
  • Manuscript
  • Image
  • Uniform disclosure forms (1 for each author)

• PRO invites interesting high-resolution images, preferably in color, including X-rays or scans of characteristic or conditions relevant to radiation oncology. Exceptional images may be considered for the cover of the journal. Please see the Artwork section of the Author Instructions for details.

• All identifying information of patients, such as names, dates of birth, dates of service, or patient identification codes must be removed.

• If the image includes individually identifiable health information, authors must comply with the applicable privacy laws and obtain a HIPAA-compliant patient authorization form.

Revisions

Revisions must include the following elements:

• Detailed Response to Reviewers (anonymized)
• Marked version of the revised manuscript (tracked changes preferred)
• Clean version of the revised manuscript
• Clean versions of supporting documents

Please do not include:

• Identifying information on the Detailed Response to Reviewers document
• The original, unrevised manuscript document
• Marked version only of all supporting documents (tables, figures, supplemental files)