Immunotherapy research for prostate cancer from 2000 to 2024: a bibliometric and visualization analysis

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors among males, with its incidence rate increasing annually worldwide. Statistics indicate that within the American male population, prostate cancer has the highest incidence rate, whereas in China, it ranks sixth in terms of male cancer incidence. Furthermore, over 70% of Chinese patients with prostate cancer are diagnosed at locally advanced or metastatic stages. Compared with European and American countries, the survival rate for patients with advanced prostate cancer in China is significantly lower. Traditional therapies face limitations such as drug resistance and poor efficacy for advanced stage, particularly for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), which has a 5-year survival rate below 30%. In recent years, immunotherapy has brought new hope to the treatment of prostate cancer. This study aims to systematically analyze literature in the field of prostate cancer immunotherapy using bibliometric methods, revealing the current research status, hotspots, and trends in this domain to provide references and insights for future studies.

A bibliometric analysis of literature on prostate cancer immunotherapy [2000-2024] was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Tools included VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix".

Among 2,774 articles analyzed, China and the United States dominated research output. Leading institutions included the National Cancer Institute (USA) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy was the most productive journal, while Cancer Research ranked highest in citations. Key contributors included Gulley JL and Kantoff PW. The primary focus of this paper is on the overall development trend and research hotspots in the field of prostate cancer immunotherapy. The research hotspots are centered around combination therapies.

Prostate cancer immunotherapy has shifted from single-agent exploration to multimodal strategies. Future priorities include overcoming "cold tumor" barriers and developing novel immune-based combination approaches.