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. 2025 May 16;16(1):789.
doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-02632-x.

Research hotspots and emerging trends in targeted therapy for colorectal cancer: a bibliometric analysis (2000-2023)

Xiangnv Meng #  1   2 , Zhongting Lu #  1 , Fu Mi  2 , Sha Sha  2 , Tao Li  3
Affiliations

Research hotspots and emerging trends in targeted therapy for colorectal cancer: a bibliometric analysis (2000-2023)

Xiangnv Meng et al. Discov Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Targeted therapy has significantly transformed the treatment landscape of colorectal cancer (CRC), enabling personalized treatment approaches and improving patient prognosis. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore the research hotspots and development trends in the field of CRC-targeted therapy from 2000 to 2023.

Methods: Based on the Web of Science Core Collection, this study collected literature related to CRC-targeted therapy published between 2000 and 2023. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for data analysis, with a focus on publication trends, key contributors, and keyword co-occurrence patterns.

Results: A total of 2252 relevant articles were included, demonstrating a steady growth trend in research output. China ranked first in terms of the number of publications, while the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was identified as the institution with the highest research output. Josep Tabernero was the most prolific author in this field. Among journals, Cancers had the highest impact, while Clinical Cancer Research held a significant advantage in citation frequency. Keyword co-occurrence and clustering analysis indicated that research primarily focused on treatment strategies and precision medicine, with emerging technologies such as cell therapy and liquid biopsy garnering increasing attention.

Conclusion: This study reveals the research trends, core hotspots, and emerging directions in the field of CRC-targeted therapy, providing valuable insights for future research.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Colorectal cancer; Data visualization; Targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All data used in this study were downloaded from public databases; therefore, no ethical approval or informed consent was required. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Patient consent: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Detailed flowchart steps of the search strategy in screening publications
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Annual publication and citation trends of targeted therapy for colorectal cancer from 2000 to 2023. Analysis of contributions by countries
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Global publication and collaboration in targeted therapy for CRC. A Geographic distribution of global publications on targeted therapy for CRC, illustrated on a world map. B Network visualization map showing collaboration among the top 20 countries in the field. C Overlay visualization map highlighting trends and temporal evolution in research collaboration
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Analysis of institutions in the field of targeted therapy for CRC. A Trend of the number of articles in the top 10 most productive institutions. B A network visualization map. C A overlay visualization map
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The dual-map overlay of journals related to targeted therapy for CRC
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Analysis of co-cited references and their visualizations. A The largest 10 clusters of co-cited references identified through cluster analysis. B Visual analysis of reference bursts, highlighting periods of heightened citation activity. C Density visualization map of the top 50 co-cited references, emphasizing the centrality and impact of key references
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Visualizations of network, overlay, and keyword analyses in CRC-targeted therapy. A Visualizations of network, overlay, and keyword analyses in CRC-targeted therapy. B An overlay visualization map displaying the temporal evolution of research focus areas. C The top 25 terms with the most significant citation bursts, highlighting periods of intensive focus. D A timeline and keyword clustering display showing the temporal trends and clustering of research topics
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