Quantitative Analyses of Skin Cancer Research in Pakistan.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Skin cancer research is crucial for understanding disease burden and developing effective interventions.
• Pakistan faces a significant challenge in addressing skin cancer due to limited research output.
• Assessing the current state of scientific publications is essential for identifying research gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current status and trends of skin cancer research output in Pakistan.
• To analyze the volume, growth rate, and types of publications related to skin cancer from Pakistan.
• To identify geographical contributions and highlight the scarcity of research in this field.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed and PakMediNet databases.
• Keywords related to skin cancer were used to retrieve relevant publications from Pakistan.
• A strict inclusion criterion was applied, and data from 116 selected articles were analyzed for annual growth rate and frequencies.

Main Results:

• A total of 116 skin cancer-related articles from Pakistan were identified, published between 1976 and 2018.
• The majority of publications were original articles (74), followed by case reports (24) and review articles (10).
• Research output has been consistently low, averaging only 2.7 publications per year, with most contributions originating from Karachi.

Conclusions:

• Skin cancer research in Pakistan is alarmingly scarce and requires immediate attention.
• There is a critical need for increased research productivity and collaborative efforts to address skin cancer.
• Developing targeted strategies and encouraging contributions are essential to advance skin cancer research in Pakistan.