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The launch of the "New look" SCAN magazine

SCAN is on the move once more. Following discussion by BAC Executive, it was agreed to relocate SCAN to a new home on the BAC website. In making this decision, it is hoped that the magazine feel of SCAN will be re-established.

There are other good reasons to make this move, not least the desire of BAC Executive to retain the name and impact of SCAN - that is Serving Cytology Across Nations and its wider public focus.

The new edition of SCAN will be launched on the website, commencing January 2025, we hope you like its look and format. We do though wish to use SCAN in a similar fashion to how it was in the past, although one advantage of being web-based allows SCAN to be published quarterly, with issues following in April, July and October. The previously published hard copies will not disappear, but will be archived and accessible from the new SCAN page, with the web-based issues following suit in due course on a rolling annual basis.

What should the content be, I hear being asked. We do not intend SCAN to compete with the current website content, rather to give a ‘home’ to various items. I am pleased that BAC Executive have agreed to provide a ‘viewpoint’ article in every issue, which will be a statement on current topics or controversies in cytology. For example - the use and harmonisation of international reporting systems in cytology. It has also been agreed that bursary award reports will be published in SCAN along with BAC Executive Committee biographies. I too will provide regular updates and/or commentary.

Other suitable content will be:

  • conference reports
  • secondment reports
  • travelogues
  • project reports
  • local news items or initiatives

In fact almost anything related to cytology could also be considered for publication - my only role in this respect being to select and lightly edit any submissions. Submission being the appropriate word as SCAN is only viable if we receive suitable content, so please do not be shy in this respect! I look forward to receive plenty of material - my contact details are: donmartin13@hotmail.co.uk and please put SCAN in the subject line. Please remember though that SCAN submissions should be suitable for general information or reading by both a professional or lay audience.

My final point in what has become my first editorial update is to thank all of the members of the Cytopathology editorial and review group for their help and assistance provided to me previously.

So, over to you now and I hope the wider BAC membership will like and continue to support SCAN.

Hedley Glencross

Editor SCAN