FLASH radiotherapy at a crossroads: a bibliometric perspective on progress and challenges

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Flash radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) utilizes ultra-high dose-rate (UHDR) irradiation (>40 Gy/s) to preserve normal tissue integrity during cancer treatment.
• Despite significant research growth, a systematic bibliometric analysis of the FLASH-RT scientific landscape is lacking.
• This study is limited to English-language publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically characterize the scientific landscape of Flash radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) research.
• To identify key trends, influential contributors, and research hotspots in the field of ultra-high dose-rate irradiation.
• To provide insights for future FLASH-RT studies and collaborations.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis and scientific knowledge mapping of 572 publications (2013-2025) from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC).
• Utilized R packages (Bibliometrix, CiteSpace) and VOSviewer for data analysis and visualization.
• Included online analytical tools provided by Web of Science (WoS).

Main Results:

• The United States, Switzerland, and China are leading contributors, with the University of Lausanne showing the highest research output.
• Medical Physics published the most studies; Vozenin MC and Favaudon V are highly cited authors.
• Eleven research directions were identified, with a focus on pencil beam scanning and dosimetry, using keywords like irradiation, flash radiotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Conclusions:

• This bibliometric analysis provides the first comprehensive overview of FLASH-RT research trends and key players.
• Identifies research frontiers and hotspots, offering valuable guidance for future investigations.
• Highlights the need for continued research and collaboration in ultra-high dose-rate radiotherapy.