Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41510097›Full record

ArticleTranslational cancer research2025

Research hotspots and frontiers in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer: a bibliometric review from 2005 to 2024.

Libo Zhang, Xianghong Xu, Yan Wang, Jiarui Zhang, Hui Cai, Tao Qu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational cancer research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Libo Zhang *The First Clinical Medical School, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China.
Xianghong Xu *National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Yan Wang *Division of Personnel, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital, Lanzhou, China.
Jiarui ZhangThe First Clinical Medical School, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China.
Hui CaiKey Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and Precision Medicine for Surgical Oncology, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6182-966X
Tao QuThe Institute of Clinical Research and Translational Medicine, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide, and patients at advanced stages have a poor prognosis due to delayed diagnosis and limited treatment options. The tumor microenvironment (TME), a critical player in the initiation, progression, and treatment resistance of GC, has garnered significantly increased research focus in recent years. However, there is currently a lack of bibliometric analysis on TME research in GC, making it challenging to pinpoint research hotspots and development trends in this field. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research conducted over the past two decades to identify research hotspots and emerging trends. Methods: A comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) retrieved publications on GC TME from 2005 to 2024. Following screening that excluded non-English publications, articles outside the specified timeframe, and non-research articles, 1,486 English publications were ultimately included. Visualization analysis was conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Excel, encompassing annual publication volume, collaborative networks among countries/institutions/authors, journal co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, to reveal research distribution patterns, hotspots, and emerging trends. Results: Publications on this topic demonstrated a consistent annual increase from 2005 to 2024, reaching a peak annual output of 305 articles in 2024, indicating sustained growth in research activity. China accounted for the highest volume of publications (n=1,098), significantly outnumbering the United States (n=155) and Japan (n=111). The United States (20 collaborating countries/regions) and China (17 collaborating countries/regions) emerged as central nodes in the international collaboration network. Chinese institutions dominated the research output, with Nanjing Medical University (75 publications) and Fudan University (68 publications) ranking highest in productivity. Notably, Nanjing Medical University demonstrated the most extensive collaborative network, partnering with 31 institutions. Xu Zhang emerged as the leading contributor with the highest publication output (20 articles) and most citations (1,453 citations), establishing him as a pivotal figure in this research domain. Conclusions: The GC TME research landscape from 2005 to 2024 featured three prominent immunotherapy frontiers: chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T lymphocytes (CAR-T) cell technology, immune checkpoint blockade therapy, and key components of TME. Simultaneously, epigenetic regulation (m6A methylation), computational oncology (machine learning applications), and metastatic microenvironments (liver metastasis patterns) emerged as pivotal research directions. These findings establish a comprehensive framework for GC TME research, delineate current priorities, and offer critical guidance for exploring future therapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

bibliometricGastric cancer (GC)hotspotsimmunotherapytumor microenvironment (TME)

Identifiers

PMID41510097
PMCPMC12776242

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.