It is with enormous gratitude and enthusiasm that I have accepted the position of Editor in Chief of the Mexican Journal of Oncology. During my years as an associate editor of the journal, I have been able to learn firsthand from my fellow associate editors and my predecessor, Dr. Francisco Javier Ochoa Carrillo, who through efforts spanning over a decade consolidated this journal as the leading publication in Mexican oncology, as well as one of the most relevant oncology periodicals in our region.

The amount of new research and data that is generated in oncology is overwhelming even for the most avid readers, and the communication capabilities provided by social media make it possible to rapidly absorb and disseminate new findings. Likewise, there never have been so many periodicals published in our field, with many large journals expanding their catalogues and creating sister open-access publications. In the globalized and hyper-connected world of academic oncology, it may be difficult for many to see the value of local, national, and/or regional journals. However, I strongly believe that such journals have a relevant role to play in the creation and dissemination of relevant knowledge, which can be used to improve the care of patients with cancer worldwide.

National journals represent a valuable venue for the publication of research findings closely related to local topics, which are likely to have a direct impact on local patients. Therefore, it is our duty, as the journal’s editorial board, to make sure that we increase the visibility and the quality of the work we showcase, so that it can be read, replicated, and utilized elsewhere. Additionally, publishing in a national journal may be the first exposure of a young researcher to manuscript writing and to the editorial process, which represents an opportunity to help train and shape the career of future academic leaders in our field.

In the following months, along with a multidisciplinary editorial team and a diverse editorial board, I will undertake a series of changes aimed at transforming our journal, improving its quality, and fostering Mexican oncology research. Our first action, visible in this issue, will be to change the journal’s name from Gaceta Mexicana de Oncología (GAMO) to Mexican Journal of Oncology (MJO). While the GAMO name has become a staple of Mexican oncology, we feel that it has become outdated, and that a change is called for. Along with the name change, and starting this year, all manuscripts published in the journal’s four yearly issues will be printed both in English and in Spanish, with free-of-charge translation offered to authors. So far, the journal has been indexed in DOAJ, SCOPUS, ARTEMISA, LILACS, IMBIOMED, CLOCKSS and PERIODICA-UNAM, and we are actively working on including it in Pubmed Central and, eventually, in MEDLINE. We believe all these initiatives will greatly increase both our readership and our citation count, attracting even more high-quality research. Additionally, starting this semester, our editorial team will begin soliciting review manuscripts from local and regional experts in the various fields of oncology. We hope that these high-quality reviews will be useful for oncologists and for trainees both in our country and beyond our borders, and that they will eventually become an essential reference for Mexican oncology.

We are aware of the enormous challenges faced by Mexican and other Latin American oncology researchers, particularly young investigators, when trying to publish their research findings. Sadly, many never get published despite presenting relevant information, due to factors related with the quality of the writing or the difficulty finding a proper venue for publication. This is caused by many factors, including limited training in manuscript writing, a lack of knowledge regarding the publication process, and inadequate mentoring at the institutional level. I strongly believe that the journal can become a home for that research and provide an opportunity for those starting their academic careers to disseminate the results of their work. In order to do this, and in coordination with the Mexican Society of Oncology, the journal will develop and offer a series of workshops and educational opportunities aimed at improving the design and writing of original research manuscripts. Likewise, we will create content to help our readers improve their skills at critically reading and reviewing the medical literature, hoping this will both improve their clinical knowledge and increase the pool of reviewers available to the journal, which represent an essential component of the editorial process.

While many of these goals may seem overly ambitious, I am convinced of the potential of our journal to grow into the leading oncology publication in our region, and of attracting a more global readership in the future. I would like to encourage researchers from our country, our region, and from across the globe to submit both their original research and up-to-date reviews for publication in the Mexican Journal of Oncology. I am humbled by this opportunity and will work tirelessly along with an amazing team of associate editors to use this platform to improve the quality of Mexican oncology research and, consequently, of the care we provide to our patients.