Research landscape and trends of lung cancer radiotherapy: A bibliometric analysis

Improved commissioning of lung stereotactic body radiotherapy using a customized respiratory motion Phantom: a single- institutional study

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) involves delivering high doses of radiation with geometric precision in a few hypofractionated schedules. In lung SBRT, respiratory motion is an additional concern as it could cause the delivered dose distribution to deviate from the treatment plan. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct accurate commissioning tests on a dynamic phantom. In this study, the QUASAR™ Respiratory Motion Phantom was customized using 3D-printed parts to minimize motion-induced errors in measurements. The customisations included a specialized ion chamber insert designed to move with the tumour and measure the average dose at its centre. A film insert was also developed for secure fixation, enabling precise dose verification on a static plane while minimizing the risk of friction-related damage. The quality assurance (QA) tests were performed on the plans created for phantom studies indicated that ion chamber measurements were within 1.9% of the planned dose, and film gamma analysis demonstrated pass rates over 95% using the 3%/1 mm criteria. A set of SBRT volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were created for a suite of test patients using both flattened and flattening filter free (FFF) 6 MV beams and utilising robust optimization. A standardized patient-specific QA protocol was used to evaluate the treatment plans of 20 test patients, yielding film gamma pass rates above 98.8%. The suggested approach, using the 3D-printed inserts, effectively mitigated dose-blurring, providing a robust tool for lung SBRT commissioning and ensuring the reliability of lung cancer treatment with SBRT.

Global research and current trends on nanotherapy in lung cancer research: a bibliometric analysis of 20 years

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer ranks as one of the most rapidly growing malignancies. Which is characterized by its poor prognosis and a low survival rate due to late diagnosis and limited efficacy of conventional treatments. In recent years nanotechnology has emerged as a promising frontier in the management of lung cancer, presenting novel strategies to enhance drug administration, improve therapeutic efficiency, and mitigate side effects. This research comprehensively evaluates the current state and research trends concerning the application of nanomaterials in lung cancer through bibliometric analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We employed a systematic approach by retrieving studies from the Scopus database that focused on nanomaterials and lung cancer between 2003 and 2023. Subsequently, we carefully selected relevant articles based on predetermined inclusion criteria. The selected publications were then subjected to bibliometric and visual analysis using softwares such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny.

RESULTS

A total of 3523 studies that meet inclusion criteria were selected for bibliometric analysis. We observed a progressive increase in the number of annual publications from 2003 to 2023, indicating the growing interest in this field. According to our analysis, China is the primary contributor to publication output among the countries. The "Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China" was the most influential institution. Among the authors, "Dr. Jack A. Roth" and "Dr. Huang Leaf" had the highest number of publications and cited publications, respectively. The "International Journal of Nanomedicine" was found to be the most prolific journal in this field. Additionally, "Biomaterials" emerged as the most cited journal. Through keyword analysis, we identified five main research themes and future research directions; nono-immunotherapy and green synthesis are the hot topics in this research field.

CONCLUSION

Our study summarized the key characteristics of publications in this field and identified the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals, hot topics, and trends related to the application of nanomaterials in lung cancer. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge and serve as a foundation for future research endeavors in this area. More effective efforts are needed in this field to reduce the burden of lung cancer and help achieve the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

Mapping the global research landscape on depression for patients with chronic kidney disease: a bibliometric and visualized analysis from 2006 to 2022

Background

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), a complex and multifaceted health issue, significantly contributes to global mortality rates. Accompanying chronic conditions, depression notably exacerbates health outcomes, increasing both mortality risk and the burden on affected individuals. This study employs bibliometric and visual analytics to evaluate the evolution, current trends, and future research directions in the field of CKD and depression.

Methods

We conducted a thorough investigation using the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on literature published from 2006 to 2022 that examines the interplay between CKD and depression. The analysis was enriched with bibliometric and visualization tools such as bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer to distill the essence of the research corpus.

Results

Our analysis incorporated 2,409 CKD-related publications, with significant contributions from the United States, China, and England. BMC Nephrology emerged as the leading publication outlet, while the American Journal of Kidney Diseases featured the most cited articles. Key terms such as "depression," "quality-of-life," "mortality," "prevalence," and "hemodialysis" dominated the keyword landscape, indicating the research focus areas.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis offers an in-depth view of the research trajectory in CKD and depression. It provides valuable insights for researchers seeking relevant literature, potential collaborators, and an understanding of the field's current hotspots and emerging frontiers. The findings of this study are instrumental in guiding and enriching future research endeavors in this domain.

The dynamic duo: A narrative review on the synergy between stereotactic body radiotherapy and immunotherapy in lung cancer treatment (Review)

Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), is undoubtedly one of the major breakthroughs in lung cancer research. Patient survival and prognosis have all been improved as a result, although numerous patients do not respond to immunotherapy due to various immune escape mechanisms of the tumor cells. Recent preclinical and clinical evidence has shown that stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), also known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, has a prominent immune priming effect that could elicit antitumor immunity against specific tumor antigens and destroy distant tumor cells, thereby achieving the elusive abscopal effect, with the resulting immuno‑active tumor environment also being more conducive to ICIs. Some landmark trials have already demonstrated the survival benefit of the dynamic duo of SBRT plus immunotherapy in metastatic non‑small‑cell lung cancer, while others such as PEMBRO‑RT further suggest that the addition of SBRT to immunotherapy could expand the current indication to those who have historically responded poorly to ICIs. In the present review, the biological mechanisms that drive the synergistic effect of SBRT and immunotherapy were first briefly outlined; then, the current understanding from clinical trials was summarized and new insight into the evolving role of immunotherapy and SBRT synergy in lung cancer treatment was provided. Finally, novel avenues for discovery were highlighted. The innovation of the present review lies in the inclusion of non‑ICI immunotherapy in the discussion, which provides a more comprehensive view on the current development and future trend of SBRT + immunotherapy synergy.

Non-small cell lung cancer and metabolism research from 2013 to 2023: a visual analysis and bibliometric study

Background

As one of the most prevalent primary lung tumors, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has garnered considerable research interest due to its high metastasis rates and poor prognosis outcomes. Across different cancer types, metabolic processes are required for tumors progression and growth, thus interfering with such processes in NSCLC may therapeutically viable for limiting/halting disease progression. Therefore, comprehending how metabolic processes contribute to growth and survival mechanisms in cancers, including NSCLC, may elucidate key functions underpinning tumor cell metabolism. However, no bibliometric analyses have been published in this field, therefore we address this knowledge gap here.

Methods

Between 2013 and 2023 (December 28th), articles related to the NSCLC and metabolism (NSCLC-Met) field were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). To fully dissect NSCLC-Met research directions and articles, we used the Bibliometrix package in R, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to visually represent global trends and hotspots.

Results

Between 2013 and 2023, 2,246 NSCLC-Met articles were retrieved, with a continuous upward trend and rapid development observed year on year. Cancers published the most articles, with Cancer Research recording the highest average citation numbers. Zhang Li from China was the most prolific author, but the highest number of authors came from the USA. China, USA, and Italy were the top three countries with the highest number of published articles, with close cooperation identified between countries. Recent hotspots and research directions were reflected by "lung adenocarcinoma", "immunotherapy", "nivolumab", "checkpoint inhibitors", "blockade", and "pembrolizumab", while "gut microbiome", "egfr" and "dose painting" were important topics for researchers.

Conclusion

From our analyses, scientists can now explore new hotspots and research directions in the NSCLC-Met field. Further in-depth research in this field will undoubtedly provide more new insights on disease diagnostics, treatment, and prognostics.

Global research landscape and trends of cancer radiotherapy plus immunotherapy: A bibliometric analysis

The aim of this study was to present current research trends on the synergistic use of radiotherapy and immunotherapy (IRT) for cancer treatment. On March 1, 2023, we conducted a literature search for IRT papers using the Web of Science database. We extracted information and constructed two databases - the Core Database (CD) with 864 papers and Generalized Database (GD) with 6344 papers. A bibliometric analysis was performed to provide insights into the research landscape, to identify emerging trends and highly cited papers and journals in the field of IRT. The CD contained 864 papers that were collectively cited 31,818 times. Prominent journals in this area included the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Corresponding authors from the USA contributed the most publications. In recent years, lung cancer, melanoma, stereotactic radiotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and the tumor microenvironment emerged as hot research areas. This bibliometric analysis presented quantitative insights into research concerning IRT and proposed potential avenues for further exploration. Moreover, researchers can use our findings to select appropriate journals for publication or identify prospective collaborators. In summary, this bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the historical progression and recent advancements in IRT research that may serve as inspiration for future investigations.

Global research landscape and trends of lung cancer immunotherapy: A bibliometric analysis

​Background

Immunotherapy for lung cancer has been a hot research area for years. This bibliometric analysis aims to present the research trends on lung cancer immunotherapy.

Method

On 1 July, 2022, the authors identified 2,941 papers on lung cancer immunotherapy by the Web of Science and extracted their general information and the total number of citations. A bibliometric analysis was carried out to present the research landscape, demonstrate the research trends, and determine the most cited papers (top papers) as well as major journals on lung cancer immunotherapy. After that, recent research hotspots were analyzed based on the latest publications in major journals.

Results

These 2,941 papers were cited a total of 122,467 times. "Nivolumab vs. docetaxel in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer" published in 2015 by Borghaei H et al. was the most cited paper (5,854 citations). Among the journals, New England Journal of Medicine was most influential. Corresponding authors represented China took part in most articles (904) and papers with corresponding authors from the USA were most cited (139.46 citations per paper). Since 2015, anti-PD-(L)1 has become the hottest research area.

Conclusions

This bibliometric analysis comprehensively and quantitatively presents the research trends and hotspots based on thousands of publications, and further suggests future research directions. Moreover, the results can benefit researchers to select journals and find potential collaborators. This study can help researchers get a comprehensive impression of the research landscape, historical development, and recent hotspots in lung cancer immunotherapy and provide inspiration for further research.