The research landscape of renal cancer ablation

Abstract

Abstract Background Renal ablation has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment option for kidney cancer. This systematic review uses bibliometric analysis to identify the influential publications, authors, institutions, and countries in the field of renal cancer ablation. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted using the Web of Science database, and data on authors, publications, citations, affiliations, and keywords were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using several software tools, including Bibliometrix, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, VoxViewer, and R. Results A total of 285 documents were detected, with a significant positive correlation between the year of publication and number of articles. The majority of papers were on “Radiofrequency Ablation” (n = 145) with significant less literature on other forms of renal ablation. The top 10 most prolific journals published 48% of all articles. The United States was the most prolific contributor (n = 113), with Harvard being the most productive (n = 33) and cited institution (2231 citations). Liang P. was the most prolific author (n = 18), Mueller, P.R. was the most cited (1493 citations) and Gervais, D.A. the most collaborative. The three most frequently used author keywords were “renal cell carcinoma,” “radiofrequency ablation,” and “microwave ablation.” Discussion This study offers a comprehensive overview of the knowledge base surrounding renal cancer ablation, providing insight into the most influential publications, authors, institutions, countries, and emerging topics. While the majority of the current literature is on RFA, our analysis suggests a growing interest and focus on alternative ablation techniques such as microwave and cryoablation in recent years.