Research Trends of Artificial Intelligence in Lung Cancer: A Combined Approach of Analysis With Latent Dirichlet...

Lung cancer (LC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. With recent technological advances, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to play a crucial role in improving diagnostic and treatment methods. It is crucial to understand how AI has integrated into LC research and to identify the main areas of focus. The aim of the study was to provide an updated insight into the role of AI in LC research, analyzing evolving topics, geographical distribution, and contributions to journals. The study explores research trends in AI applied to LC through a novel approach combining latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling with the HJ-Biplot statistical technique. A growing interest in AI applications in LC oncology was observed, reflected in a significant increase in publications, especially after 2017, coinciding with the availability of computing resources. Frontiers in Oncology leads in publishing AI-related LC research, reflecting rigorous investigation in the field. Geographically, China and the United States lead in contributions, attributed to significant investment in R&D and corporate sector involvement. LDA analysis highlights key research areas such as pulmonary nodule detection, patient prognosis prediction, and clinical decision support systems, demonstrating the impact of AI in improving LC outcomes. DL and AI emerge as prominent trends, focusing on radiomics and feature selection, promising better decision-making in LC care. The increase in AI-driven research covers various topics, including data analysis methodologies, tumor characterization, and predictive methods, indicating a concerted effort to advance LC research. HJ-Biplot visualization reveals thematic clustering, illustrating temporal and geographical associations and highlighting the influence of high-impact journals and countries with advanced research capabilities. This multivariate approach offers insights into global collaboration dynamics and specialization, emphasizing the evolving role of AI in LC research and diagnosis.