General practice-based cancer research publications: a bibliometric analysis 2013-2019

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Oncology
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• General practice is crucial for cancer prevention, diagnosis, management, and survivorship.
• Mapping research trends in general practice cancer care reveals evolving roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the global distribution of cancer research in general practice.
• To compare research output by country, cancer type, continuum stage, author demographics, and journal impact.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications from MEDLINE and Embase (2013-2019).
• Systematic identification and mapping of studies to the cancer continuum framework.
• Descriptive statistics used for data presentation.

Main Results:

• 2798 publications from 79 countries were analyzed.
• The US led in total publications, but Denmark had higher per capita output.
• Research focused on screening, diagnosis, and survivorship; observational studies predominated.
• Female authors were more prevalent as first authors (66.5%) than last authors (47.0%).

Conclusions:

• Cancer in general practice research is a stable, predominantly observational field.
• Geographical variations in research focus suggest differing national priorities and investment.
• Future research should address under-represented areas and promote interventional study designs.