The fields of cancer molecular and genetic epidemiology, early detection, biomarkers, and prevention are in full bloom and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (CEBP) rapidly has become the best agricultural show and county fair at which to display peer-reviewed research concepts, plans, and results. CEBP has become the number one cancer prevention journal and the number two public health-oriented journal worldwide. Former editors, Pelayo Correa (1991–1996) and Frederick P. Li (1997–2002), and the AACR staff are responsible for the ascendancy of CEBP. During Dr. Li’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief, CEBP’s circulation increased from 1400 to 2700, the number of pages published annually increased from 1000 to 1550, and submissions doubled.

With Dr. Li’s retirement from the leadership of CEBP, the AACR Board of Directors invited the two of us to become Co-Editors-in-Chief, as of January 2003. We, in fact, may be the second coming for the “Odd Couple.” One of us comes from “down under” and the other is a “cheese head” from a small Wisconsin town. One of us is a lactovegetarian and the other has a constant yen for Black Angus beef. One of us loves corduroys, hiking, and the cold Northwest, and the other peers at the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, only during half-time of a college football game. One of us abandoned the practice of medicine in favor of nutritional, then molecular and genetic epidemiology, and the other is a medical oncologist and clinical pharmacologist. So, what does this odd couple have in common? No question, we both have a great passion to help CEBP become the number one public-health-oriented cancer journal in the world!

What can we do to further enhance the scope, quality, and readership of CEBP? First, we have created 10 publication sections: epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, biomarkers in prevention, nutrition in prevention, chemoprevention, methods and models, behavior in prevention, screening and early detection, and survivorship and supportive care. Henceforth, CEPB will have 16 Senior Editors from several countries, instead of the prior group of four United States editors. (We will also occasionally use words like “henceforth.”) We believe that this new structure will result in a much broader research scope and significantly greater international participation. Second, we plan to improve CEBP readability through the addition of a “What’s New” column and an increase in the frequency of the “Point/Counterpoint” Commentary, Special Reports, and Editorial components of the journal. Third, we will add a “Capsule Summaries” section in each journal issue to emphasize the most innovative and interesting original manuscripts. We will continue with Null Results in Brief with Dr. Peter Shields as Section Editor.

Perhaps above all, we want to attract new investigators to publish in CEBP. Our 16 Senior Editors, over 100 Editorial Board members, and the Editors-in-Chief will attend a wide range of scientific meetings throughout the year to interact with presenting investigators and to stimulate interest in publishing in CEBP. Finally, we intend to make our Journal the best place to publish original manuscripts concerning behavioral science, survivorship, and supportive care research. We commit ourselves to making CEBP a “friendly” and welcome place to publish manuscripts, commentaries, and special reports in these critical areas of cancer prevention and control research; these are far too important to cancer research to be underrepresented in our Journal. As evidenced by the success of the recent AACR Prevention Meeting in Boston and the vigor of the Molecular Epidemiology Group (MEG/AACR) listserv, the health and well-being of our other areas are not in doubt.

We intend to be highly interactive with you, the readers of CEBP and welcome your recommendations for all types of communications and new directions. CEBP must continue to grow and change as the vast field of cancer epidemiology, biomarkers, and prevention moves forward. We are ready for anything; we need your best work!

2003