NAR Cancer: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 2632-8674 · Oxford University Press · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles NAR Cancer accepted in 2025 were accepted within 154 days of submission (n = 60); the middle half took 118–195 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
154 days median
middle half 118–195 · n = 60
Acceptance → online
28 days median
middle half 15–43 · n = 60
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 122 to 154 days (90% CI +5 to +58 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $2,391

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

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How long does NAR Cancer take to accept a paper?

days0601201802402023: middle half 86–180 days1222023n=612025: middle half 118–195 days1542025n=60
Line = median; shaded box = middle half of articles (25th–75th percentile). Year of acceptance.
Days from submission to acceptance, by year of acceptance
YearArticles (n)25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctAccepted <14 daysHave a revised date
2025601181541951.7%95%
202361861221800.0%97%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 2% (1 articles)030–59 days: 0% (0 articles)3060–89 days: 7% (4 articles)6090–119 days: 18% (11 articles)90120–149 days: 22% (13 articles)120150–179 days: 20% (12 articles)150180–209 days: 12% (7 articles)180210–239 days: 8% (5 articles)210240–269 days: 5% (3 articles)240270–299 days: 2% (1 articles)270300–329 days: 0% (0 articles)300330–359 days: 0% (0 articles)330360+ days: 5% (3 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2911.7%
30–5900.0%
60–8946.7%
90–1191118.3%
120–1491321.7%
150–1791220.0%
180–209711.7%
210–23958.3%
240–26935.0%
270–29911.7%
300–32900.0%
330–35900.0%
360+35.0%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 28 days (middle half 15–43 days, n = 60).

From submission to online publication, the median was 191 days (middle half 147–226 days, n = 60).

Read these numbers carefully

  • These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
  • Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
  • Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.

Open access status and publishing fees

Open access (listed in DOAJ). Listed APC: $2,391 (DOAJ).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,405 per article (2023–2025, 8 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).

Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.

Integrity and indexing signals

Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.

Listed in DOAJYes (DOAJ record)
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 266 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission1.7% of 2025 articles
Publication volume51 articles added to PubMed in 2025.

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMolecular Biology journals

Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side

Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of NAR Cancer, 154 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Molecular Cell224 (2025, n = 331)≈$10,400NoYes
DNA repair98 (2025, n = 92)≈$3,390NoYes
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology243 (2025, n = 163)≈$12,690$11,260 (11 payments)NoYes
Genes & Development116 (2025, n = 87)NoYes
EMBO Reports184 (2025, n = 289)$8,270$8,015 (32 payments)YesYes
Genes to Cells67 (2025, n = 75)≈$3,800NoYes
Molecular Carcinogenesis105 (2025, n = 127)≈$4,490NoYes
The EMBO Journal196 (2025, n = 319)$8,270$8,015 (43 payments)YesYes
Journal of Molecular Cell Biology163 (2025, n = 62)$2,730YesYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does NAR Cancer take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles NAR Cancer accepted in 2025 were accepted within 154 days of submission (n = 60); the middle half took 118–195 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are NAR Cancer articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 28 days of acceptance (n = 60).

Does NAR Cancer charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: $2,391 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 2632-8674; NLM ID 101769553; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 60 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.