Abstract
Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor worldwide, posing a significant threat to patient survival. Induction chemotherapy (IC) is an established therapeutic approach for advanced, unresectable OSCC, proven effective in controlling tumor progression and preventing distant metastasis. Despite its clinical significance, there is a lack of bibliometric studies in this research domain. This article aims to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, which will shed light on the key areas of focus and provide insights into the research landscape of OSCC induction chemotherapy.
Methods: The relevant articles were identified using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). To examine the co-occurrence relationships across countries/regions, institutes, authors (cited authors), journals (cited journals), references, and keywords in this research field, bibliometric analysis was conducted with the assistance of two software tools, VOSviewer and CiteSpace. This approach enables a comprehensive exploration of the frontiers and hotspots within the field.
Results: A comprehensive collection of 227 publications was assembled between 2000 and 2022. Overall, both the number of publications and citations display a steady annual increase, with the peak observed in 2021 and 2022. China and the United States jointly occupy the first rank in terms of total publications (n = 46), with Japan following closely behind (n = 32). Among the academic institutions, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has made the most substantial contribution, with 26 publications. In the realm of authors, Zhong Laiping secures the top position in the list of the top 10 authors (n = 13), whereas Posner MR and Vermorken JB are equally distinguished as the most co-cited authors (n = 104). The research field's most prolific journal is Oral Oncology, which boasts the highest number of publications (n = 24), while the Journal of Clinical Oncology claims the greatest number of co-citations. Conducting a co-occurrence and cluster analysis on the references cited, it was discovered that the recent research focus has shifted from radiochemotherapy and oral cancer to paclitaxel. Keyword analysis unveils that current research on induction chemotherapy for OSCC underscores the significance of chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin, docetaxel, and fluorouracil.
Conclusion: Despite the relatively modest number of publications, research on induction chemotherapy for OSCC is steadily growing. Currently, the primary focus of investigation revolves around drug selection for this therapeutic approach. This article provides an overview of the prevailing trends in this field and identifies potential directions and hotspots for future research.