Scientometrics
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jun 15, 2025; 17(6): 105781
Published online Jun 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i6.105781
Global scientific trends on hepatocellular carcinoma research from 2004 to 2023: A bibliometric and visualized analysis
Li-Qi Shang, Hao-Xin Guo, Peng Wang, Xiao-Han Sun, Jia-Qi You, Jun-Ting Ma, Lu-Ke Wang, Jia-Xi Liu, Zhong-Qing Wang, Hai-Bo Shao
Li-Qi Shang, Peng Wang, Xiao-Han Sun, Jia-Qi You, Jun-Ting Ma, Lu-Ke Wang, Jia-Xi Liu, Hai-Bo Shao, Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Hao-Xin Guo, Zhong-Qing Wang, Department of Information Center, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Co-first authors: Li-Qi Shang and Hao-Xin Guo.
Co-corresponding authors: Zhong-Qing Wang and Hai-Bo Shao.
Author contributions: Shao HB and Wang ZQ conceived and revised the full text, they contributed equally as co-corresponding authors; Shang LQ and Guo HX systematically collected literature and drafted the manuscript, they contributed equally as co-first authors; Wang P, Sun XH, and You JQ processed some of the data and proofread the manuscript; Ma JT, Wang LK, and Liu JX was partially involved in the study design; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82372070 and No. 82072037.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hai-Bo Shao, Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Road, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China. haiboshao@aliyun.com
Received: February 7, 2025
Revised: March 22, 2025
Accepted: April 17, 2025
Published online: June 15, 2025
Processing time: 127 Days and 4.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the research landscape has rapidly evolved over the past two decades. Despite significant progress, an in-depth analysis of global research trends, collaborative networks, and emerging themes in HCC remains limited. This study aimed to fill this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis to map the research output, identify key contributors, and highlight future directions in HCC research. We hypothesized that the analysis would reveal a growing focus on molecular mechanisms and immunotherapy, with increasing contributions from specific countries and institutions.

AIM

To investigate global research trends, collaborative networks, and emerging themes in HCC from 2004 to 2023.

METHODS

A bibliometric analysis was performed using 93987 publications from the Science Citation Index Expanded Database of the Web of Science Core Collection. Data were analyzed using the VOSviewer software to identify publication trends, leading contributors, and research themes. Key metrics included annual publication output, country and institutional contributions, journal impact, and thematic clusters. Statistical analysis was carried out to quantify trends and collaborations.

RESULTS

The number of annual publications increased from 2341 in 2004 to 8756 in 2023, with 65583 papers (69.78%) published between 2014 and 2023. China, the United States, and Japan were the top contributors, constituting 58.3% of total publications. PLOS One published the most studies (n = 2145), while Gastroenterology had the highest average number of citations (78.4 citations per paper). Fudan University was the most prolific institution (n = 1872). Thematic analysis identified five main clusters, namely molecular mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, prognosis and immunology, risk factors, and diagnostic approaches.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the growing focus on HCC research, particularly in immunotherapy and molecular mechanisms, underscoring the significance of international collaboration to advance diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Bibliometric analysis; VOSviewer; Research trends; Oncology

Core Tip: This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma research from 2004 to 2023, covering 93987 publications. It identified key trends, influential journals, leading countries and institutions, and international collaboration patterns. The analysis highlighted evolving research hot spots, including molecular mechanisms, diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and immunology. Notably, immune-related studies have increasingly integrated with prognostic research in recent years, reflecting a shift toward personalized treatment. These findings provide valuable insights into the development of hepatocellular carcinoma research and its future clinical applications.