Global status and trends of gastric cancer and gastric microbiota research: a bibliometric analysis

Background: Numerous studies have cast light on the relationship between the gastric microbiota and gastric carcinogenesis. In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature in the field of gastric cancer and the gastric microbiota and clarified its research status, hotspots, and development trends. Materials and methods: Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on 18 July 2023. CiteSpace 6.2.R4, VOSviewer 1.6.19.0, and Biblioshiny were used for the co-occurrence and cooperation analyses of countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords. A keyword cluster analysis and an emergence analysis were performed, and relevant knowledge maps were drawn. Results: The number of published papers in this field totaled 215 and showed an increasing trend. The analysis of funding suggested that the input in this field is increasing steadily. China had the highest number of publications, while the United States had the highest betweenness centrality. Baylor College of Medicine published the most articles cumulatively. Both Ferreira RM and Cooker OO had the highest citation frequency. The journal Helicobacter showed the most interest in this field, while Gut provided a substantial research foundation. A total of 280 keywords were obtained using CiteSpace, which were primarily focused on the eradication and pathogenic mechanisms of Helicobacter pylori, as well as the application of the gastric microbiota in the evaluation and treatment of gastric cancer. The burst analysis suggested that in the future, research may focus on the application of gastric microorganisms, particularly Fusobacterium nucleatum, in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer, along with their pathogenic mechanisms. Conclusion: Current studies have been tracking the eradication of Helicobacter pylori and its pathogenic mechanisms, as well as changes in the gastric microbiota during gastric carcinogenesis. Future research may focus on the clinical application and pathogenesis of stomach microorganisms through bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum.