Global publication productivity and research trends on recurrent ovarian cancer: a bibliometric study

Introduction Recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) presents a dismal prognosis, persistently devoid of efficacious therapeutic strategies. Over the past decade, significant shifts have transpired in ROC management, marked by the identification of novel therapeutic targets and advancements in biomarker research and innovation. Since bibliometrics is an effective method for revealing scientific literature, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of literature pertaining to ROC. Our exploration encompassed identifying emerging research trends and common patterns, analyzing collaborative networks, and anticipating future directions within this clinical context. Methods We conducted a search in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) to acquire relevant articles as our dataset, which were then exported using R-Studio-2023.12.0-369 software. The Bibliometrix R package was utilized to perform visual analyses on countries, institutions, journals, authors, landmark articles, and keywords within this research field. Results A total of 1538 articles and 173 reviews published between 2014 and 2023 were eventually retrieved. The annual growth rate of scientific production was 4.27%. The USA led the way in the number of published works, total citations, and collaboration. Gynecologic Oncology was the most favoured journal in this research field. Vergote I from the University Hospital Leuven, was the most influential author. At last, the most prominent keywords were "chemotherapy" (n = 124), "bevacizumab" (n = 87), and "survival" (n = 65). Clinical outcomes (prognosis, survival), chemotherapy, bevacizumab, and PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib) represented the basic and transversal themes, while antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and drug resistance were emerging themes. Cytoreduction surgical procedures and tamoxifen were niche themes, while immunotherapy and biomarkers were motor themes and had high centrality. Conclusion The trends in the ROC research field over the past decade were revealed through bibliometric analysis. Platinum resistance, ADC, and immunotherapy have emerged as the current prominent research topics.