Cancer research continues to expand our understanding of the biological intricacies and defining characteristics of cancer. These advancements have led to a broader array of treatment options for patients, yet challenges such as therapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis persist, presenting formidable obstacles to achieving a universal cure. Despite substantial progress in our understanding at the molecular and cellular levels, the underlying physics of human carcinogenesis remains largely unexplored. The conceptualization of anatomical entities as part of an infinitely graduated hierarchy, alongside the discovery of functional variables, has underscored the complexity of biological systems, unveiling novel properties of organized biological matter. The transformation of natural cells into malignant cancer cells, driven by this complexity, may not always manifest as visible changes in cytological or histological structures. This phenomenon can be elucidated through the concept of “emergence”, defining humans as complex systems comprising interconnected anatomical entities governed by specific laws at different organizational levels.

The objective of this Special Issue is to gather researches that delve into cancer as a complex dynamic system governed by processes across different spatial and temporal scales. We welcome contributions that encompass molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ perspectives, with a particular interest in how to effectively integrate these diverse realms of knowledge. We extend our invitation to esteemed pathology, oncology and research groups to contribute manuscripts focusing on any significant facet of oncology, employing a multidisciplinary approach.

Potential areas of interest for both original research and review articles may include, but are not limited to:
• Cancer complexity;
• Spatial genomics;
• Tumor microenvironment;
• Tumor-host interactions;
• Tumor heterogeneity;
• Multi-scale causality;
• Fractal geometry;
• Chaos theory;
• In vivo imaging;
• Modelling.

Even though abstract submission is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit an abstract before submitting their manuscript. Abstracts do not have to coincide with the final abstract of the manuscripts. For authors, please review the journal's information regarding Author Guidelines and Article Processing Charges, or direct any questions to the Editorial Office: por@por-journal.com.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Commentary
• Guideline
• Hypothesis & Theory
• Letter to the Editor
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Cancer, Complexity, Modelling, Multi-scale causality, Physics