Treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer: a machine learning bibliometric analysis

Francesca De Felice; Daniele Crocetti; Niccolò Petrucciani; Liliana Belgioia; Paolo Sapienza; Nadia Bulzonetti; Francesco Marampon; Daniela Musio; Vincenzo Tombolini

doi:10.1177/17562848211042170

Treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer: a machine learning bibliometric analysis

Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2021 Oct 16:14:17562848211042170. doi: 10.1177/17562848211042170. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Francesca De Felice¹, Daniele Crocetti², Niccolò Petrucciani³, Liliana Belgioia⁴, Paolo Sapienza², Nadia Bulzonetti⁵, Francesco Marampon⁵, Daniela Musio⁵, Vincenzo Tombolini⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 326, 00161 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Surgery 'Pietro Valdoni', Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
³ General Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, St. Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Radiation Oncology Department, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
⁵ Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

A bibliometric analysis was performed using a machine learning bibliometric methodology in order to evaluate the research trends in locally advanced rectal cancer treatment between 2000 and 2020. Information regarding publication outputs, countries, institutions, journals, keywords, funding, and citation counts was retrieved from Scopus database. During the search process, a total of 2370 publications were identified. The vast majority of papers originated from the United States of America, reflecting also its research drive in the collaboration network. Neoadjuvant treatment was the topic most studied in the highly cited studies. New keywords, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, circulating tumor DNA, and genetic heterogeneity, appeared in the last 2 years. The quantity of publications on locally advanced rectal cancer treatment since 2000 showed an evolving research field. The 'new' keywords explain where research is presently heading.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis; chemotherapy; machine learning; radiotherapy; rectal cancer; surgery.

Publication types

Review