Abstract Background Radiotherapy is essential after breast cancer surgery to prevent local recurrence. However, conventional fractionation involves extended treatment courses that can strain healthcare resources. In recent years, hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT), which delivers larger doses per session over a shorter overall period, has gained traction as a practical and effective alternative. This study employed bibliometric methods to explore the global research landscape and key focus areas in hypofractionated radiotherapy for breast cancer. Methods To map out how research in this area has developed, we carried out a bibliometric review of the existing literature. We examined 1,521 English-language studies published between 2005 and 2025, indexed in the Web of Science database. Using tools like Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace, we tracked publication trends, knowledge frameworks, and collaborative networks over time. Results The findings reveal a marked progressive increase in annual publications, with a pronounced upturn after 2020 culminating in a peak of 152 articles in 2021. The United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom contributed the most studies historically, though China has shown striking growth in recent years. The focus of research has shifted: early work centered on optimizing dose schedules, later moving toward assessing toxicity and validating outcomes through clinical trials. Recently, attention has turned to even shorter “ultra-hypofractionated” regimens. Current citation trends highlight toxicity profiling as a particularly active topic of investigation. Conclusion Research on HFRT has evolved from establishing non-inferiority to conventional radiotherapy toward a growing focus on safety, precision, and individualized treatment. This study provides a data-driven overview of this evolution, which we hope will help steer future research and inspire further advances in hypofractionated radiotherapy for breast cancer.
Ding et al. (Tue,) studied this question.