Emerging trends and focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer treatment: visualization and bibliometric analysis

Yue Zhang; Lishan Lu; Rui Zheng

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1140771

Emerging trends and focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer treatment: visualization and bibliometric analysis

Front Pharmacol. 2023 May 4:14:1140771. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1140771. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yue Zhang^{1

2}, Lishan Lu^{1

2}, Rui Zheng³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
² Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang, China.
³ Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of all cases. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used to treat NSCLC owing to their remarkable efficacy. In this study, we analyzed the scientific collaboration network, defined the hotspots of research on the use of ICIs for NSCLC treatment, analyzed its evolution over the past few years, and forecasted the field's future development using bibliometric analysis and a graphical study. Methods: Research articles and reviews regarding ICIs for NSCLC were retrieved and obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection on 26 September 2022. CtieSpace and VOSviewer were thereafter used to conduct the bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis. Results: We included 8,149 articles for this literature analysis. Our analysis showed that the USA had the highest number of publications and citations. We also noted that research trends in this field have changed drastically over the past 20 years, from the early development of ICIs, such as CTLA-4 inhibitors, to the development of recent ones, such as PD-1 and PD-L1 blockers. Further, the focus of research in this field has also gradually shifted from mechanisms to treatment effects and adverse events, suggesting that the field is maturing. Clinical applications are also being explored, including studies on how to enhance efficacy, reduce adverse effects, and expand to other specific cancer types. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to construct a comprehensive knowledge map on ICIs for NSCLC. It can help researchers rapidly grasp the status and focus of current research in this area, offer direction, and serve as a reference for conducting similar studies.

Keywords: CiteSpace; VOSviewer; bibliometric analysis; immune checkpoint inhibitors; non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the Key Research and Development Plan Guidance Program of Liaoning Province (grant number 2018225006), the Liaoning Province Key Research and Development Program (grant number 2020JH2/10300125), and the 345 Talent Project of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (grant number M0346).