Research trends of acupuncture for cancer: A bibliometric analysis (2014-2023)

Acupuncture has been widely investigated as a complementary therapy for symptom management in patients with cancer. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to comprehend global research trends, hotspots, scientific frontiers, and output characteristics of acupuncture for cancer (2014-2023).

Publications on the use of acupuncture for cancer from 2014 to 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace 6.2.R4, VOSviewer 1.6.19, Scimago Graphica, and Microsoft Excel were used for bibliometric analysis. The main analyses included collaboration analyses of countries, institutions, authors, and journals, together with keyword co-occurrence, citation burst, and reference co-citation analyses.

A total of 1427 publications were retrieved. Annual publication output generally increased during the study period, particularly for clinical studies. The most studies were published in China, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center made the most significant contribution in this field. Furthermore, Mao had the most publications, whereas Molassiotis had the highest citation ranking. "Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine" and "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" were the most commonly and centrally referenced journals, respectively. Among the referenced studies, the article published by Hershman was the most cited and deliberated on. Common keywords included "Vasomotor symptoms," "Electroacupuncture," "Quality of life," and "Mechanism.

This bibliometric analysis maps the publication landscape, collaboration networks, and major research themes of acupuncture for cancer. Emerging work on acupuncture and cancer immunotherapy is gaining attention.