Xiaoyan Chang,* Chenghao Wang,* Linyou Zhang

Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Linyou Zhang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615145106696, Email lyzhang@hrbmu.edu.cn

Background: This study seeks to identify research trends and hotspots concerning tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis.
Methods: Publications on TKIs and EGFR-mutated NSCLC from 2006 to 2024 were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R-bibliometrix to visualize collaboration, keyword co-occurrences, and research trends.
Results: A total of 962 articles were analyzed, authored by 7,458 researchers from 5,401 institutions across 208 countries. Wu Yi-Long was identified as the most prolific author, contributing 30 publications. AstraZeneca emerged as the industrial leader with 103 articles, while the New England Journal of Medicine was recognized as the primary journal with the highest total link strength. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed significant research topics including “gefitinib”, “chemotherapy”, “open label”, and “erlotinib.” Moreover, keyword burst analysis indicated notable periods of increased research focus on topics such as “osimertinib” and “liquid biopsy”, suggesting emerging trends and current hotspots in the treatment of EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
Conclusion: This analysis highlights research trends on TKIs for EGFR-mutated NSCLC, emphasizing the importance of targeted therapies like gefitinib and osimertinib for future research and clinical practice enhancement.

Keywords: tyrosine kinase inhibitors, non-small cell lung cancer, bibliometrics, CiteSpace, VOSviewer