Get your JCO Precision Oncology 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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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to JCO Precision Oncology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the JCO Precision Oncology 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.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to JCO Precision Oncology. 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 JCO Precision Oncology journal page before you draft.
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 JCO Precision Oncology guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
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 JCO Precision Oncology guide for authors before you submit.
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.
| Element | JCO Precision Oncol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract required for Original Reports with 4 headings: (1) PURPOSE, (2) PATIENTS AND METHODS (or MATERIALS AND METHODS, or similar heading - Review articles may use DESIGN instead), (3) RESULTS, (4) CONCLUSION. Word limit: 275 words. Abstracts are not required for Case Reports, Commentaries, Editorials, or Correspondence. The abstract should state research question, rationale, methods, and conclusions, including only the most important data |
| Main text | Word limits by article type: Original Reports (3000 words, 6 figures/tables, 275-word structured abstract); Case Reports (1500 words, 3 figures/tables, 20 references, no abstract); Review Articles (4000 words, 6 figures/tables, 275-word abstract, 150 references); Commentaries (2000 words, 1 figure/table, 20 references); Molecular Tumor Board Case Discussions (2000 words, 3 figures/tables, 15 references); Special Articles (4000 words, 6 figures/tables); Correspondence (750 words, 10 references). At initial submission, authors may exceed word limit by up to 1000 words under EZSubmit policy, but revised manuscripts must meet the article type word limit |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not requested. Keywords are not mentioned in the official author guidelines for JCO Precision Oncology or any ASCO journal author instructions |
| References | Journal of Clinical Oncology reference style (numbered in order of citation). At initial submission, format-free under EZSubmit policy - authors may use any citation style as long as all necessary information is present. At revision and for accepted manuscripts, references must be formatted according to JCO style. EndNote style file available. Number references in order of citation. Reference limits: 10 for Correspondence and Commentaries; 150 for Review Articles; 20 for Case Reports; 15 for Molecular Tumor Board Case Discussions |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (single-blind peer review): Reviewers know the identity of the authors, but authors do not know the identity of the reviewers. Approximately one-third of submissions are rejected without external review. Manuscripts sent for external review are typically evaluated by at least two reviewers |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/po-ascopubs/default2.aspx |
Read the JCO Precision Oncology 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 JCO Precision Oncology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent JCO Precision Oncol 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 JCO Precision Oncology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the JCO Precision Oncology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.