Female Authorship in KRAS-Targeted Clinical Trials for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends

Abstract Despite efforts to improve gender equity in oncology research, female representation in authorship remains disproportionately low. This study analyzed authorship trends in 153 clinical trials investigating therapies that target the KRAS gene in lung cancer published between 2010 and mid-2025. Using bibliometric methods and gender classification tools, we evaluated the proportion of female authors in first, last (senior), and overall authorship roles, and further stratified findings by clinical trial phase. Among 306 first and last authors, only 82 (26.80%) were women. Female first authorship ranged from 16.67 percent to 66.67 percent, while female senior authorship peaked at 50 percent in 2016 and 2021 but was zero in multiple years including 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2020. Across all years, female authorship remained below 50 percent annually, with no statistically significant increase in first or overall authorship (p < 0.001). Senior female authorship did show a general increase but remained significantly lower than male senior authorship (p < 0.001). When stratified by trial phase, female first authorship was highest in phase two studies (38.71 percent), and senior authorship was highest in phase one studies (28.57 percent), yet no phase approached gender parity. These findings reveal persistent and substantial gender disparities in authorship within a critical area of lung cancer research, reinforcing the need for targeted interventions to promote equity in academic authorship and leadership across all stages of clinical investigation.