Official Journal of the International Society for Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)

Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology Instructions for Authors

Online Submission and Peer Review System
We are pleased to announce an electronic submission and peer review system has been implemented for Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. This is a web-based system with full online submission, review and status update capabilities. This is part of our on-going efforts to improve the efficiency of our editorial procedures, and the quality and timeliness of publication. The system can be accessed at: http://ees.elsevier.com/croh/

Prior to submitting your paper, please follow the instructions given below. Please note that you must have an e-mail address to use the system.

You will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files. The system automatically converts source files to a single Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the article, which is used in the peer-review process. Please note that even though manuscript source files are converted to PDF at submission for the review process, these source files are needed for further processing after acceptance. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor-in-Chief's decision and requests for revision, takes place by e-mail and via the author's homepage, removing the need for a hard-copy paper trail. Please read the "Hints" for information on how to register, and review the "Tutorial for Authors". If you need any further help, please contact our Author Support Department authorsupport@elsevier.com

Editorial Policy and Types of Contribution
This journal presents authoritative, in-depth reviews of the most important recently published papers on selected topics or areas in oncology and hematology, together with a critical evaluation of the concepts, methods and data included in these papers. Original research articles are also published in the field of geriatric oncology. In writing the article, the author should assume that the reader is conversant with the fundamentals of the discipline but may not have extensive knowledge of the topic under review. All reviews and original research articles are subject to peer review before final acceptance.

Most of the reviews are written on invitation. Authors who wish to submit reviews to the journal are requested to submit a short synopsis of their chosen subject to the Editor-in-Chief, and to indicate the deadline by which they expect to submit their final manuscript. The work should be a critical review providing a synthesis of the findings of the papers reviewed, as related to the current 'state of the art', rather than a general review of the subject matter. The Editor-in-Chief can be reached at: Critical Reviews, c/o Dr Matti S. Aapro, IMO Clinique de Genolier, 1 route du Muids, CH-1272, Genolier, Switzerland; email: critical-reviews@genolier.net; Tel: +41 22 366 91 36; Fax: +41 22 366 91 31.

Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology will consider manuscripts prepared according to the guidelines adopted by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors ("Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals", available as a PDF from http://www.icmje.org). Authors are advised to read these guidelines.

Preparation of the Manuscript - General
We accept text files in most standard word-processing formats but Microsoft Word, Word Perfect and LaTeX are preferred. Graphics should be high-resolution and the preferred formats are TIFF, EPS or PDF.

Please follow the instructions below for guidance on the style of the journal. Most formatting codes are removed or replaced when your article is prepared for publication so there is no need for you to use excessive layout styling. However, please do not use options such as automatic word breaking, justified layout, double columns or automatic paragraph numbering. Do use bold face, italic, subscripts, superscripts, etc., as appropriate. Please ensure that your manuscript is paginated, as this will help both editor and reviewers to process it promptly. An author responsible for corresponding with the Editor-in-Chief and Elsevier will need to be assigned.

Manuscripts should range between 20 and 40 printed pages in length. A printed page of regular text will average approximately 550 words. Approximately three double-spaced, typed pages will equal one printed page. All pages should be numbered consecutively in the following order: Title page, Abstract, Text, References, Tables, Figure legends and Figures.

Submission of an Article
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. We also assume that articles are written in good English. Authors whose native language is not English are strongly advised to have their manuscript checked by an English-speaking colleague who understands the material.

Copyright Information
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to transfer copyright (for more information on copyright see http://ees.elsevier.com/croh/) This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of information. A letter will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript. A form facilitating transfer of copyright will be provided. If excerpts from other copyrighted works are included, the author(s) must obtain written permission from the copyright owners and credit the source(s) in the article. Elsevier has preprinted forms for use by Authors in these cases: contact Elsevier's Rights Department, Philadelphia, PA, USA: phone (+1) 215 239 3804, fax (+1) 215 239 3805, e-mail healthpermissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed online via the Elsevier homepage ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissions)

Ethical Policy for Research Papers
Work on human beings that is submitted to Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology should comply with the principles laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki; Recommendations guiding physicians in biomedical research involving human subjects. Adopted by the 18th World Medical Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964, amended by the 29th World Medical Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 1975, the 35th World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983, and the 41st World Medical Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989. The manuscript should contain a statement that the work has been approved by the appropriate ethical committees related to the institution(s) in which it was performed and that subjects gave informed consent to the work. Studies involving experiments with animals must state that their care was in accordance with institution guidelines. Patients' and volunteers' names, initials, and hospital numbers should not be used.

Randomised Controlled Trials
All randomised controlled trials submitted for publication in Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology should include a completed Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) flow chart. Please refer to the CONSORT statement website at http://www.consort-statement.org for more information. Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology has adopted the proposal from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) which require, as a condition of consideration for publication of clinical trials, registration in a public trials registry. Trials must register at or before the onset of patient enrolment. The clinical trial registration number should be included at the end of the abstract of the article. For this purpose, a clinical trial is defined as any research project that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention or comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. Studies designed for other purposes, such as to study pharmacokinetics or major toxicity (e.g. phase I trials) would be exempt. Further information can be found at http://www.icmje.org

Covering letter
The online submission system requires a covering letter to be submitted with the manuscript. This should include the following information:• Confirmation of whether any parts i.e figures, of the article have been sent by mail
• Each author should have participated sufficiently in any submission to take public responsibility for the work. This means that all authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following: (1) the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, (3) final approval of the version to be submitted.
• Authors must include the names with phone, fax and e-mail addresses of four potential reviewers of the manuscript.

Language Polishing
Authors who require information about language editing and copyediting services pre- and post-submission please visit http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorshome.authors/languagepolishing or contact authorsupport@elsevier.com for more information. Please note Elsevier neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any products, goods or services offered by outside vendors through our services or in any advertising. For more information please refer to our Terms & Conditions http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/termsconditions.cws_home/termsconditions

Preparation of the Manuscript - Specific
Sections of the Article
The first pages of the manuscript should contain: (1) title; (2) the name(s) and complete affiliation(s) of the author(s); (3) table of contents; (4) abstract; (5) keywords; (6) a short biography of the corresponding author with additional biographies from co-authors, should they feel necessary; and (7) the name and full contact details of the corresponding author

Title
Concise and informative. Titles are often used in information-retrieval systems. Avoid abbreviations and formulae where possible.

Corresponding Author
Clearly indicate who is willing to handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that telephone and fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the e-mail address and the complete postal address.

Abstract
A concise and factual abstract is required (maximum length 150 words). The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separate from the article, so it must be able to stand alone.

Keywords
Immediately after the abstract, provide a maximum of 8 keywords, avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, "and", "of"). Be sparing with abbreviations: only abbreviations firmly established in the field may be eligible. These keywords will be used for indexing purposes.

Subdivision of the article
Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2, ?), 1.2, etc. (the abstract is not included in section numbering). Use this numbering also for internal cross-referencing: do not just refer to "the text". Any subsection may be given a brief heading. Each heading should appear on its own separate line.

Abbreviations
Define abbreviations that are not standard in this field at their first occurrence in the article, in the abstract but also in the main text after it. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the article.

Acknowledgements
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship as defined above should be listed in an acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, writing assistance, or a department chair who provided only general support. Authors should disclose whether they had any writing assistance and identify the entity that paid for this assistance.

Conflict of interest
At the end of the text, under a subheading "Conflict of interest statement" all authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. If the author(s) has no conflict of interest this should be stated. Role of the funding source
All sources of funding should be declared as an acknowledgement at the end of the text. Authors should declare the role of study sponsors, if any, in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. If the study sponsors had no such involvement, the authors should so state.

Vitae
Include in the manuscript a short biography of each author.

Tables
Number tables consecutively in Arabic in accordance with their appearance in the text. All tables must have a title, and may be accompanied by a brief description of the data contained within the table. Place footnotes to tables below the table body and indicate them with superscript lowercase letters. Standard abbreviations of units of measurements should be added between parentheses. Numerical data should be aligned using decimal points; in numbers less than one, a zero should precede the decimal point. Ditto marks must not be used. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results described elsewhere in the article.

References
Responsibility for the accuracy of bibliographic citations lies entirely with the Authors.
Citations in the text: Please ensure that every reference cited in the text is also present in the reference list (and vice versa). Any references cited in the abstract must be given in full. Unpublished results and personal communications are not recommended in the reference list, but may be mentioned in the text. If these references are included in the reference list they should follow the standard reference style of the journal and should include a substitution of the publication date with either "Unpublished results" or "Personal communication" Citation of a reference as "in press" implies that the item has been accepted for publication.Citing and listing of Web references. As a minimum, the full URL should be given. Any further information, if known (Author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list.Text: Indicate references by number(s) in square brackets in line with the text. The actual Authors can be referred to, but the reference number(s) must always be given.List: Number the references (numbers in square brackets) in the list in the order in which they appear in the text. Examples: Reference to a journal publication: [1] Van der Geer J, Hanraads JAJ, Lupton RA. The art of writing a scientific article. J Sci Commun 2000;163:51-9. Reference to a book: [2] Strunk Jr W, White EB. The elements of style. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan; 1979. Reference to a chapter in an edited book: [3] Mettam GR, Adams LB. How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In: Jones BS, Smith RZ, editors. Introduction to the electronic age, New York: E-Publishing Inc; 1999, p. 281-304 Note shortened form for last page number. e.g., 51-9, and that for more than 6 Authors the first 6 should be listed followed by "et al." For further details you are referred to "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals" (J Am Med Assoc 1997;277:927-934) (see also http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/terms_cond.html). Journal names should be abbreviated according to Index Medicus journal abbreviations: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/ serials/lji.html. Recheck references in the text against the reference list after your manuscript has been revised. Incomplete references can result in publication delay. The digital object identifier (DOI) may be used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a document by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for citing a document, particularly 'Articles in press' because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. The correct format for citing a DOI is shown as follows (example taken from a document in the journal Physics Letters B): doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071. When you use the DOI to create URL hyperlinks to documents on the web, they are guaranteed never to change.

Equations
Equations should be typed at the appropriate position in the text, and should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numbers. Symbols, e.g., Greek letters, should be clearly identified in cases where confusion could arise. Please check that the spacing before and after each symbol is correct and that superscript or subscript symbols are clearly evident.

Illustrations
A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available at the following website http://ees.elsevier.com/croh/. General points
• Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork.
• Save text in illustrations as "graphics" or enclose the font.
• Only use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times, Symbol. Letters and symbols used in the figures must be large enough to remain clearly legible after reduction. The degree of reduction will be determined by the Publisher. Illustrations will not be enlarged.
• Mark the appropriate position of a figure in the article.
• Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text in Arabic.
• Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files.
• Provide captions to illustrations separately.
• Produce images near to the desired size of the printed version.
Please "save as" or convert the images to one of the following formats (Note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below.):
EPS: Vector drawings. Embed the font or save the text as "graphics". TIFF: Colour or greyscale photographs (halftones): always use a minimum of 300 dpi.
TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum of 1000 dpi.
TIFF: Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or greyscale): a minimum of 500 dpi is required.
DOC, XLS or PPT: If your electronic artwork is created in any of these Microsoft Office applications please supply "as is".
Please do not:
• Supply embedded graphics in your wordprocessor (spreadsheet, presentation) document;
• Supply files that are optimised for screen use (like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); the resolution is too low;
• Supply files that are too low in resolution;
• Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content.
• Use any type of shading on computer-generated illustrations
Non-electronic illustrations
State in the covering letter that you are sending non-electronic illustrations separately to: Critical Reviews, c/o Dr Matti S. Aapro, IMO Clinique de Genolier, 1 route du Muids, CH-1272, Genolier, Switzerland; email: critical-reviews@genolier.net; Tel: +41 22 366 91 36; Fax: +41 22 366 91 31. Provide all illustrations as separate files and as hardcopy printouts on separate sheets. Clearly mark all illustrations on the back (or - in case of line drawings - on the lower front side) with the figure number and the author's name and, in cases of ambiguity, the correct orientation.
Captions
Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a brief description of the data contained within the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. Photographs (halftones)
As the clarity of a printed reproduction depends on the quality of the original, authors are urged to submit the highest quality photographs available. Please supply original photographs for reproduction printed on glossy paper, very sharp and with good contrast. Note that photocopies of photographs are not acceptable. Remove non-essential areas of a photograph. Do not mount photographs unless they form part of a composite figure. Where necessary, insert a scale bar in the illustration (not below it), as opposed to giving a magnification factor in the caption. Colour illustrations
If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in colour on the Web (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for colour in print or on the Web only. Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise by converting colour figures to "grey scale" (for the printed version should you not opt for colour in print) please submit in addition usable black and white versions of all the colour illustrations.

Equipment and Drugs
When quoting specific equipment or drugs, authors must state in parentheses the name and address of the manufacturer. Generic names should be used wherever possible.

Units and Abbreviations
Measurements of length, height, weight and volume should be given in metric units (metre, kilogram, litre) or their decimal multiples in terms of the International System of Units http://www.bipm.fr/en/si/. Temperatures should be given in degrees Celsius and blood pressure in mmHg. Define abbreviations that are not standard in the field at their first occurrence in the article, in the abstract but also in the main text after it. Ensure consistency of abbreviations throughout the text.

Funding Body Agreements and Policies
Elsevier has established agreements and developed policies to allow authors who publish in Elsevier journals to comply with potential manuscript archiving requirements as specified as conditions of their grant awards. To learn more about existing agreements and policies please visit http://www.elsevier.com/fundingbodies.

Proofs
When your manuscript is received by the Publisher it is considered to be in its final form. Proofs are not to be regarded as "drafts". The Publisher reserves the right to charge authors for the cost of changes made to the text or the figures at proof stage, where such changes are extensive. One set of page proofs in PDF format will be sent by e-mail to the corresponding author, to be checked for typesetting/editing. Any queries should be answered in full. No changes in, or additions to, the accepted (and subsequently edited) manuscript will be allowed at this stage. Proofreading is solely your responsibility. The Publisher reserves the right to proceed with publication if corrections are not communicated. Return corrections within 1 day of receipt of the proofs. Should there be no corrections, please confirm this. Elsevier will do everything possible to get your article corrected and published as quickly and accurately as possible. In order to do this we need your help. When you receive the (PDF) proof of your article for correction, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are sent back to us in one communication. Subsequent corrections will not be possible, so please ensure your first sending is complete. Note that this does not mean you have any less time to make your corrections, just that only one set of corrections will be accepted. For more information on proofreading go to http://www.elsevier.com/authors . Please note that once your paper has been proofed we publish the identical paper online as in print.

Author Services
• Authors can track the status of their paper throughout the review process using http://www.ees.elsevier.com/croh/
• Authors can track the status of their accepted paper during the production process online at http://authors.elsevier.com/TrackPaper.html using the reference supplied by the Publisher
• Publication in this journal is free of charge
• All articles are published on ScienceDirect within 3-4 weeks of receipt of the corrected proof at Elsevier. These are fully citable using the article's unique Digital Object Identifier
• Free offprints: 50 offprints will be supplied free of charge. Corresponding authors will be given the choice to buy extra offprints before their article is printed
• Authors can contact Elsevier about any query they may have using: authorsupport@elsevier.com