The Society of Surgical Oncology announced Kelly M. McMasters, MD, PhD as the new Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO) effective March 2018. Dr. McMasters becomes only the second Editor in the journal’s nearly 25-year history to assume the role. He will oversee the print and online editions of ASO and with Mark Roh, MD, Executive Editor, will lead a prestigious editor roster of expert leaders in surgical oncology, including more than 20 section editors and associate section editors from around the world, as well as U.S.-based associate and deputy editors. Dr. McMasters begins his position on March 23, 2018 in conjunction with the journal’s 25th anniversary and the retirement of Charles M. Balch, MD, who established the prominence of the publication in the field of surgical oncology. Dr. McMasters will report directly to the SSO Executive Council and will carry out editorial responsibilities from his office in Louisville, KY.

"Annals of Surgical Oncology has a rich heritage as the premier source of clinical and translational science related to cancer surgery and multidisciplinary care. It is an honor and a privilege to lead an outstanding editorial board into the future," said Dr. McMasters.

ASO is the worldwide journal of choice of surgical oncologists and is the official journal of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. According to Thompson-Reuters, in the 2016 impact factor ranking among all surgical oncology scholarly periodicals, ASO has the most citations of all surgical journals in the world, the highest number of source items, and a current impact factor of 4.041. The journal promotes clinical and translational cancer research, with an emphasis on clinical trials. Leading subject areas of ASO include Gastrointestinal Oncology, Breast Oncology, Hepatobiliary Tumors, Colorectal Cancer, Thoracic Oncology, and Translational Research. ASO strives to enhance the quality of life and survival of the surgical patient with cancer and to improve the practice environment in which high-quality surgical oncology care is delivered. ASO also facilitates the career development of surgical trainees and their transition into academic and community-based practice and publishes timely articles about public policy and patient advocacy issues related to the surgical patient with cancer.