Iman Menbari Oskouie
1 
, Hediyeh Alemi
2,3, Naghmeh Khavandgar
2,3, Heydar Ali Mardani-Fard
4, Azadeh AleTaha
5,6, Amir-Hossein Mousavian
2,3, Ali Rahimi
7, Mohammad Abdollahi
8, Akbar Soltani
5,6, Amir Kasaeian
9,10,11* , Majid Sorouri
8* 1 Urology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Research Institute for Oncology, Hematology and Cell Therapy, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Digestive Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Mathematics, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran
5 Evidence Based Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Science Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6 Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Science Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
7 International Agriculture University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
8 Liver and Pancreaticobiliary Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
9 Digestive Oncology Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10 Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
11 Clinical Research Development Unit, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most common cancer worldwide, significantly contributing to cancer-related deaths and increasingly affecting younger populations. Although its impact on patients’ quality of life is profound, scientometric studies on CRC remain underexplored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the scientific literature on CRC from 2014 to 2023, employing a range of scientometric and statistical approaches.
Methods: This study obtained CRC-related publications from the Scopus database. The analyses of the collaboration and co-occurrence among countries/regions, institutions, journals, references, authors, and keywords were conducted utilizing VOSviewer, facilitating the identification of key research trends and emergent subjects.
Results: A review of Scopus entries yielded 200,385 papers on CRC in the last decade, noting a yearly increase in publications from 2014 to 2023. China emerged as the most prolific contributor with 46,674 documents. A positive correlation was identified between a country’s CRC research output and gross domestic product (GDP; r=0.961, P<0.001). The journal “Cancers” led to 3006 articles, and H. Brenner stood out as the foremost author with 452 publications. However, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China led institutional contributions to 3094 papers.
Conclusion: With a leading count of 46674 articles, China dominated CRC research, particularly highlighted by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The primarily obtained keywords were CRC, cancer, prognosis, rectal cancer, and colon cancer. Despite the presence of global collaborations, there is a pressing need for increased research funding and support in the CRC, especially within developing nations. This study is a navigational tool for medical professionals, researchers, and surgical assistants to grasp the international progress and directions in CRC research.