Advances in Radiotherapy and Chemoradiotherapy for the Treatment of Gastric Cancer (2014-2023): A Scientometric Approach.

BACKGROUND

Approximately 1,000,000 cases and 769,000 deaths from gastric cancer (GC) occurred in 2020, making it the fourth most prevalent reason for cancer-related fatalities. The objective of this study was to examine the use of radiation therapy (RT) and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in GC using a quantitative and scientometric method.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in the Scopus database for articles on RT and CRT in GC from 2014 to 2023. We utilized the VOSviewer tool for a scientometric analysis covering various aspects such as countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords.

RESULTS

The study incorporated 15,036 articles related to the subject. China emerged as the top contributor, with the United States and Japan following. A significant positive correlation was found between the article output of countries on RT and CRT in GC and gross domestic product (GDP) and total wealth index, with correlation coefficients of 0.749 and 0.6921, respectively ( < 0.001). The forefront of institutional contribution was marked by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. J.A. Ajani from the USA stands out as the most prolific author in this field, having published 112 articles. The leading journal was , and the most cited article in this domain was authored by Smyth, E.C., in 2020, in . Author keywords revealed 6 clusters, with "Esophageal cancer" (655 mentions) and "Gastric cancer" (379 mentions) being the most prevalent.

CONCLUSION

This pioneering scientometric study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on RT and CRT about GC, evaluating the scholarly output in this field over the past decade. It can be concluded that this research topic has gained significant attention since 2016. While international collaborations are taking place worldwide, there is a need for more support and the expansion of research on RT and CRT in GC, especially in less developed countries. This study provides support to healthcare practitioners, researchers, and surgical aides regarding the global outcomes of RT and CRT in GC investigations.