A Bibliometric Analysis of the Oligometastatic State over the Last Two Decades: A Shifting Paradigm for Oncology? An AIRO Oligometastatic Study Group

Simple Summary The concept of oligometastatic state has brought about a shift in our understanding of cancer's metastasis and progression, and its management remains an active field of research, with ongoing efforts to develop new treatment options. The aim of the present study is to report a bibliometric analysis of the oligometastatic disease/state to provide an overview of the topic. A total of 3304 documents were collected from 1995 to 2022. Among all keywords used by authors, the top three were oligometastases (19%), SBRT (18%), and radiation therapy (8%). In particular, a link can be observed between radiotherapy and topics of side-fields like immunotherapy and targeted therapies, representing an opportunity for further combinatorial studies in this setting. This bibliometric analysis represents a detailed summary of the most influential studies dealing with the oligometastatic state and sheds light on the area for the attention of researchers worldwide. The term oligometastasis represents a relatively novel idea, which denotes a condition characterized by cancer dissemination with a limited number of lesions (usually fewer than five). The aim of the present study is to report a bibliometric analysis of the oligometastatic disease/state, incorporating all relevant studies on the topic for more than 20 years. The research strategy included at least one the terms Oligmetastases, Oligometastasis, Oligometastatic, Oligoprogression, Oligoprogressive, Oligorecurrent, or Oligorecurrency in the title, abstract, and/or keywords. All English-language documents from 1 January 1995 (the year of the earliest available document in Scopus) to 31 December 2022 were considered for the analysis. R code (R version 4.2.0) with R Studio (version 2022.12.0-353) and the Bibliometrix package (version 4.0.1) were used for the analysis. A total of 3304 documents, mainly articles (n = 2083, 63.0%) and reviews (n = 813, 24.6%), were collected from 1995 to 2022. The average annual growth rate of literature on the topic was 26.7%. Overall 15,176 authors published on the topic, with an average of eight authors/publication. From 1995, 69 countries contributed to the literature, with the USA and Italy being the top contributors. Among all keywords used by authors, the top three were oligometastases (19%), SBRT (18%), and radiation therapy (8%). Themes regarding locoregional treatment, organ motion, and immunotherapy were the most recent trend topics, mainly developed from 2019 to 2022, while high-dose chemotherapy, whole-brain radiotherapy, and metastatic breast cancer saw their main development during 2009-2018. Our study shows the exceptionally flourishing scientific production on the oligometastatic state, summarizing the most influential studies and highlighting the future developments and interests. This analysis will serve as a benchmark to identify this area for the attention of researchers worldwide and contribute to the increasing scientific work.

Automated summary

The concept of oligometastatic state has revolutionized our understanding of cancer metastasis and progression, with ongoing research efforts to develop new treatment options. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the oligometastatic disease/state, providing a comprehensive overview of the topic. A total of 3304 documents from 1995 to 2022 were analyzed, revealing the top keywords used by authors and identifying emerging themes and trends. This analysis serves as a valuable resource for researchers worldwide and highlights the significant scientific progress in the field of oligometastatic state.