Photodynamic therapy in esophageal cancer: trends, innovations, and future directions from a global perspective...

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising, minimally invasive treatment for EC due to its high selectivity. However, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of PDT in EC is lacking. This study aims to assess research trends, key contributors, and emerging themes in PDT for EC from 1985 to 2024.

We performed a bibliometric analysis using data from the Web of Science Core Collection. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package 'bibliometrix' were employed to examine publication trends, collaboration networks, and primary research themes related to PDT in EC.

The analysis included 581 publications by 2037 researchers from 593 institutions across 40 countries. The United States, China, and England were the top contributors, with significant input from the Mayo Clinic and Thompson Cancer Survival Center. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy was the most prolific journal, while Gastrointestinal Endoscopy received the highest citations. Research areas covered various aspects of PDT in EC, including its combination with endoscopic treatments, use of photosensitizers, palliative care applications, biological mechanisms, and nanoparticle drug delivery advancements. Emerging themes highlighted the application of nanotechnology in drug delivery, integration of immunotherapy, and exploration of the tumor microenvironment.

This bibliometric study reveals a global expansion in PDT research for EC, emphasizing new directions such as nanotechnology-enhanced drug delivery, immunotherapy integration, and tumor microenvironment studies. These advancements are expected to improve PDT's effectiveness, particularly in overcoming the limitations of current treatments for deeper and more advanced EC cases.