Scientometrics
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Mar 15, 2025; 17(3): 102111
Published online Mar 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i3.102111
Advances and global trends of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer: A bibliometric analysis
Yuan-Ping Jia, Dian-Chun Liu, Ting-Lan Cao, Hui-Zhong Jiang, Tao Li, Yuan Li, Xia Ding
Yuan-Ping Jia, Hui-Zhong Jiang, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China
Dian-Chun Liu, Ting-Lan Cao, Tao Li, Xia Ding, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Yuan Li, National Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Co-first authors: Yuan-Ping Jia and Dian-Chun Liu.
Author contributions: Jia YP and Ding X conceived and designed the study; Jia YP and Liu DC retrieved, screened, and analyzed the literature, they contributed equally as co-first authors; Jia YP wrote the first draft of the manuscript; Cao TL edited the language; Liu DC and Jiang HZ created the visual charts; Li T, Li Y, and Ding X interpreted the data and revised the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82374292, 82205095, and 82305179; the Horizontal Development Foundation of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. BUCM-2021-JS-KF-065; and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Grant, No. 2022M720520.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xia Ding, PhD, Professor, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China. dingx@bucm.edu.cn
Received: October 9, 2024
Revised: November 22, 2024
Accepted: December 30, 2024
Published online: March 15, 2025
Processing time: 128 Days and 3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) represent a critical pathological stage in the development of intestinal gastric cancer. Early detection and diagnosis are key to reducing the incidence of gastric cancer. Substantial advancements have been made in PLGC research in recent years, making it necessary to provide updated reviews using bibliometric methods. We hypothesize that this review will identify emerging trends, key research areas, and gaps in PLGC research, providing insights that could guide future studies and enhance prevention strategies.

AIM

To comprehensively review the current state of research on PLGC, examining development trends and research hotspots.

METHODS

We conducted a bibliometric analysis of PLGC-related studies published between 2004 and 2023 using the Web of Science Core Collection database. We employed Software, including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R software, and SCImago Graphica, to map scientific networks and visualize knowledge trends in terms of publication volume, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords.

RESULTS

A total of 4097 articles were included, and overall publication volume showed an increasing trend. Over the past two decades, China published the most articles, followed by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Italy. Among the top 10 contributors, the United States ranked highest in institutions, authors, and citations and demonstrated the strongest international collaboration. Research keywords in this field were clustered into three main categories: Risk factors, pathogenesis, and diagnosis and treatment. Pathogenesis and molecular biomarkers remain key areas of focus. Future research should explore the mechanisms of gut microbiota, immune microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, and epigenetics. Advanced technologies, including single-cell sequencing, spatially resolved analysis, multi-omics approaches, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, will likely accelerate in-depth investigations of PLGC.

CONCLUSION

PLGC research has rapidly developed in recent years, gaining considerable attention. This bibliometric analysis reveals research state and emerging trends over the past 20 years, providing insights for future studies.

Keywords: Precancerous lesions of gastric cancer; Gastric precancerous lesion; Dysplasia; Bibliometric; Visualization

Core Tip: As a “golden turning point” in the development of intestinal-type gastric cancer, the early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer can reduce the incidence of gastric cancer. This article provides a current review of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer research through bibliometric methods, helping researchers stay informed about the state of research and recent advancements in this field, while offering new ideas and directions for future studies.