Cancer Cell Template
Get your Cancer Cell paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Cancer Cell Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 3 August, 2026
Submitting to Cancer Cell goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Cancer Cell guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Cancer Cell Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Cancer Cell. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Cancer Cell journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Cancer Cell submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Cancer Cell guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Cancer Cell guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Cancer Cell Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through Editorial Manager.
Steps to Use This Template with SciSpace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The SciSpace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Cancer Cell.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Cancer Cell guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through Editorial Manager.
Cancer Cell Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Cancer Cell requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Summary (not 'Abstract'): Single unstructured paragraph, maximum 150 words. Must not contain references, non-universal abbreviations, or statistical values. Must use 'Here, we' construction rather than simple first-person 'We show' or 'We demonstrate'. For Reviews: abstract up to 150 words |
| Main text | Article: up to 7,000 words (including main figure legends but excluding STAR Methods, supplemental item legends, and references), maximum 8 figures/tables. Report: up to 4,000 words (including main figure legends but excluding STAR Methods, supplemental item legends, and references), maximum 4 figures/tables. Review: 5,000-8,000 words (including abstract up to 150 words), up to 150 references, 3-5 display items. Perspective: 5,000-7,500 words, up to 5 figures, 150 references. Commentary: up to 2,500 words, up to 15 references. Preview/Spotlight: up to 1,200 words, 1 figure, 10 references |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Up to 10 keywords may be included, separated by commas |
| References | Cell Press numbered reference style: superscript numbers in text, numbered in order of first appearance. In reference list: all authors listed (no 'et al.' truncation), journal names abbreviated using standard abbreviations, volume numbers in bold followed by comma and page range. Example format: Author1, A., Author2, B., and Author3, C. (Year). Title. Journal Vol, pages |
| Peer review | Single-blind peer review (reviewer identities kept anonymous from authors;' identities known to reviewers) |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/cancer-cell/ |
Quick Tips for Using the Cancer Cell Template
Read the Cancer Cell guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Cancer Cell in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Cancer Cell papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Cancer Cell journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Cancer Cell guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.
