Research landscape of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 1959 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis.

Abstract

Abstract Background Radiotherapy, as the main treatment method for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), has been innovating over time and no bibliometric study on NPC radiotherapy to date. In the study, the scientific achievements of NPC radiotherapy around the world were evaluated by bibliometric analyses, and the previous research hotspots and future trends were described. Methods Original articles related to NPC radiotherapy were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. To identify research hotspots and future trends, countries/regions, institutions, journals, references, authors, and keywords were evaluated and visualized by Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. Results From 1959 to 2022, 7139 original articles were collected. The annual publications showed an increasing trend, especially after 2011. Mainland China had the most publications (n = 3719, 52.09%). Sun Yat-sen University has the most publications and citations among institutions. Jun Ma is most productive and SR Baker has the highest co-cited centrality. International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics is the core journal, with most publications, citations and co-citations. Analysis of keywords showed intensity-modulated radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy were the main keywords, and multicenter was strongest burst. Conclusion NPC radiotherapy has attracted increasing attention, and precision and intelligence may be the future trends in this field.