Global Renal Cell Carcinoma Research Trends Over 30 Years: A PRISMA-Compliant Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a relatively common malignancy of the urinary tract. Over the past few decades, methodologies for diagnosing and managing patients with RCC have shown various developmental stages. This study was designed to provide insights into RCC research trends over that period.Materials and Methods: To understand RCC research trends over the past 30 years, we conducted a bibliometric analysis, an appropriate method for evaluating scholarly output. Data were acquired by searching the Web of Science for articles published between 1991 and 2020. Bibliometric analysis and VOSviewer were used to visualize and statistically analyze the research trends.Results: A total of 18,172 articles were identified. The most productive country was the United States (n=4,461, 26.5%), followed by China (n=3,503, 19.9%), and Japan (n=1,950, 11.9%). During keyword analysis, 3 clusters were identified, relating to gene expression, surgical outcomes, and immunotherapy. Over the last 10 years, research has mostly focused on emerging immunotherapy-related drugs.Conclusions: Our bibliometric analysis has explained the characteristics of RCC research trends over the past 30 years.