Global research trends between gut microbiota and lung cancer from 2011 to 2022: A bibliometric and visualization analysis

Haitao Chen; Yuebiao Lai; Chenxiao Ye; Changhong Wu; Jiali Zhang; Zewei Zhang; Qinghua Yao

doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1137576

Global research trends between gut microbiota and lung cancer from 2011 to 2022: A bibliometric and visualization analysis

Front Oncol. 2023 Feb 23:13:1137576. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1137576. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Haitao Chen^{1

2}, Yuebiao Lai³, Chenxiao Ye⁴, Changhong Wu⁵, Jiali Zhang⁵, Zewei Zhang⁶, Qinghua Yao^{1

2

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Oncology Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Community Health Service Center of Louta Town, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ The First Clinical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ The Second Clinical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁶ Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Head & Neck Cancer Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Background: An increasing number of studies have found that the gut microbiota was related to the occurrence and development of lung cancer. Nonetheless, publication trends and research hotspots in this field remain unknown. The study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis to systematically identify publication trends and research hotspots in the field of gut microbiota and lung cancer research within a 12-year panorama.

Methods: Publications related to the gut microbiota and lung cancer between 1 January 2011 and 25 October 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. The online analytic tool of the WoSCC was used to analyze various bibliometric parameters. The bibliometrics website, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer were used to identify research trends and hotspots.

Results: A total of 375 publications related to the gut microbiota and lung cancer were extracted from WoSCC and identified for analysis. The number of annual publications has grown rapidly since 2018 and reached a peak in 2022. China was the most prolific country in this field, with 120 publications, followed by the United States (114), with the highest H-index of 31. Additionally, France ranked the highest with an average of 133 citations, while the leading institution and journal were the Unicancer and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, respectively. Interestingly, Routy Bertrand was the most prolific author and also the most cited author in terms of H-index and citations. Reference and keyword burst detection indicated that the research hotspots mainly included 1) the gut microbiota directly affects the efficacy of immunotherapy for lung cancer, 2) the application of different gut bacteria on lung cancer, and 3) the mechanism of the gut microbiota on lung cancer.

Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed the general publication trends and evolving research hotspots in the field of gut microbiota and lung cancer at a global level. The research hotspots focused on the clinical application of the gut microbiota combined with immunotherapy in lung cancer and its mechanism. The findings of this study provide new perspectives on the field, which may shed light on a beneficial impact on further etiological studies, diagnosis, and treatment for lung cancer.

Keywords: CiteSpace; VOSviewer; bibliometric; gut microbiota; lung cancer; visualization.

Grants and funding

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82204823, No. 82074201), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2021M703485), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang province (No. LQ22H290002, LY21H290001), and Medical and Health Platform Program of Zhejiang Province (No. 2021KY569, 2022RC109).