Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has become a critical component in the treatment of oral cancer, enhancing tumor resectability and improving patient survival. This study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis to systematically explore global research trends, key contributors, and emerging hotspots in NAC for oral cancer. Publications from 1985 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric data were analyzed using R (version 4.3.3), VOSviewer (version 1.6.20), and CiteSpace (version 6.3.R1). These tools were employed to examine publication trends, co-authorship networks, institutional collaborations, and keyword co-occurrence and burst analysis. A total of 235 publications were identified, showing an annual growth rate of 7%. Japan led in publication output (47 publications), followed by China (38) and Germany (33), while the United States exhibited the strongest international collaboration. Chang Gung Memorial Hospital was the leading contributor, with 51 publications. The leading journals included Oral Oncology, Head and Neck, and the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. Kreppel Matthias ranked first with an H-index of 9, 10 publications, and 234 total citations. Emerging research hotspots focused on "induction chemotherapy", "biomarker expression", and "multidisciplinary management". This study provides a bibliometric analysis of global research trends and hotspots in NAC for oral cancer, offering valuable insights into key contributors, emerging themes, and collaborative networks. The findings have significant implications for guiding future research directions and integrating evidence-based strategies into clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.
Xu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.