Knowledge domains and emerging trends in radiotherapy in oesophageal cancer from 2004 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis and visualization study

Abstract

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a malignant tumour with high morbidity and mortality rates. Recent studies have shown that much progress has been made in the research of radiotherapy in EC. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of radiotherapy in EC through bibliometrics. Publications related to radiotherapy in EC from 2014 to 2023 were searched on the web of science core collection database. VOSviewers, CiteSpace and R package ‘bibliometrix’ were used to conduct this bibliometric analysis. In total, 4258 articles from 76 countries led by China and the USA were included. The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences—Peking Union Medical College has the highest number of publications. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics is the most popular journal and also the most co-cited journal in this field. These publications come from 21 972 authors among which Liao Zhongxing had published the most papers and Cooper JS was co-cited most often. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and strategies based on it are the main topics in this research field. ‘IMRT’ and ‘immunotherapy’ are the primary keywords of emerging research hotspots. This is a bibliometric study that comprehensively summarizes the research trends and developments of radiotherapy in EC. This information identifies recent research frontiers and hot directions, which will provide a reference for scholars studying radiotherapy in EC.