Radiomics in precision medicine for colorectal cancer: a bibliometric analysis (2013-2023)

Hao Li; Yupei Zhuang; Weichen Yuan; Yutian Gu; Xinyan Dai; Muhan Li; Haibin Chen; Hongguang Zhou

doi:10.3389/fonc.2024.1464104

Radiomics in precision medicine for colorectal cancer: a bibliometric analysis (2013-2023)

Front Oncol. 2024 Oct 30:14:1464104. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1464104. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Hao Li^#^{1

2}, Yupei Zhuang^#^{1

2}, Weichen Yuan^#^{1

2}, Yutian Gu^{1

2}, Xinyan Dai^{1

2}, Muhan Li^#^{1

2}, Haibin Chen^#³, Hongguang Zhou^#^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
² Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, The First Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
³ Science and Technology Department, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) have been rising steadily. Early diagnosis and precise treatment are essential for improving patient survival outcomes. Over the past decade, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging technologies has positioned radiomics as a critical area of research in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of CRC.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of CRC-related radiomics literature published between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2023 using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric tools such as Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were employed to perform an in-depth bibliometric analysis.

Results: Our search yielded 1,226 publications, revealing a consistent annual growth in CRC radiomics research, with a significant rise after 2019. China led in publication volume (406 papers), followed by the United States (263 papers), whereas the United States dominated in citation numbers. Notable institutions included General Electric, Harvard University, University of London, Maastricht University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Prominent researchers in this field are Tian J from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with the highest publication count, and Ganeshan B from the University of London, with the most citations. Journals leading in publication and citation counts are Frontiers in Oncology and Radiology. Keyword and citation analysis identified deep learning, texture analysis, rectal cancer, image analysis, and management as prevailing research themes. Additionally, recent trends indicate the growing importance of AI and multi-omics integration, with a focus on improving precision medicine applications in CRC. Emerging keywords such as deep learning and AI have shown rapid growth in citation bursts over the past 3 years, reflecting a shift toward more advanced technological applications.

Conclusions: Radiomics plays a crucial role in the clinical management of CRC, providing valuable insights for precision medicine. It significantly contributes to predicting molecular biomarkers, assessing tumor aggressiveness, and monitoring treatment efficacy. Future research should prioritize advancing AI algorithms, enhancing multi-omics data integration, and further expanding radiomics applications in CRC precision medicine.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis; colorectal cancer; imaging biomarkers; precision medicine; radiomics.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81973737), the Key Project of Jiangsu Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Project (ZD202301), the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Program of Jiangsu Province (QN202003), and the Jiangsu Education Science “The 14th Five-Year Plan” Project (Major Project) (C-b/2021/01/15).