Call for papers - GI cancer risk assessment

Guest Editors

Ulrik Deding, PhD, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
Berend J. van der Wilk, MD, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, the Netherlands

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 7 May 2025

BMC Gastroenterology is calling for submissions to our Collection on GI cancer risk assessment. This Collection seeks to gather innovative research on GI cancer risk assessment, encompassing the interplay of lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors in the development of GI cancers. We invite submissions that explore novel approaches to risk assessment, screening, and surveillance, with the aim of advancing personalized strategies for early detection and prevention of GI cancers.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Ulrik Deding, PhD, Odense University Hospital, Denmark

Epidemiologist from the surgical research unit of Odense University Hospital, Svendborg, Denmark, specialised in colorectal cancer. Most of his research involves cancer screening, social inequalities, and register-based research. He works in interventions that aim to decrease inequalities in colorectal cancer screening uptake while also improving the overall participation. This has partially been focused on the use of barrier targeted interventions such as colon capsule endoscopies and adaptations to screening invitations. Further, he is involved in developing AI to predict patient risk of incomplete investigations and significant colorectal pathology from endoscopic diagnostic procedures.

Berend J. van der Wilk, MD, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, the Netherlands

Berend J. van der Wilk is a surgical resident at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam. From 2017 – 2022 he succesfully coordinated the SANO-trial involving twelve participating Dutch hospitals, to assess the efficacy or organ sparing active surveillance for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Currently, his research interest is still in organ sparing therapy for esophageal cancer, where he is involved in several projects and clinical trials, such as the Chinese SINO-trial. His clinical interest is in surgical oncology. He is involved in several research projects, peer reviewer for numerous journals and (guest) editor for several projects.

About the Collection

BMC Gastroenterology is calling for submissions to our Collection on GI cancer risk assessment. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, colon, and rectum, pose significant public health challenges worldwide. Annually, millions of people are diagnosed with GI cancers, with varying incidence rates depending on the type and geographic region. The prognosis for GI cancers varies, with factors such as early detection, stage at diagnosis, and access to treatment playing critical roles in outcomes. Certain populations, including older adults and individuals with specific genetic predispositions or lifestyle risk factors, are particularly susceptible to these cancers.

Advancing our collective understanding in this area is essential for improving early detection and risk stratification, which can ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and reduced mortality rates. Recent advances in GI cancer risk assessment have highlighted the importance of integrating lifestyle and environmental factors with genetic risk factors to develop comprehensive risk stratification models. Additionally, research has emphasized the role of hereditary cancer syndromes in predisposing individuals to GI cancers, underscoring the need for tailored screening and surveillance approaches.

We invite contributions that explores innovative approaches to GI cancer risk assessment, including but not limited to:

GI cancer risk assessment and screening
Lifestyle and environmental factors in GI cancer risk
Hereditary cancer syndromes and GI cancers
Genetic risk factors and cancer risk stratification
Novel biomarkers for GI cancer risk assessment
Advances in imaging techniques for early detection of GI cancers
Role of microbiome in GI cancer risk
Impact of diet and nutrition on GI cancer risk

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "GI cancer risk assessment" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.