Visual Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Used in Treating Lung Cancer Based on the Web of Science Database

Objective: We undertook a knowledge map-based visual analysis of the literature concerning the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating lung cancer. By examining publications over the past three decades, we aimed to elucidate the current status of research, identify key areas of focus, and anticipate future trends in this field, thereby providing valuable insights for future scientific and clinical investigations. Materials and Methods: Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software, a scientometric and visual analysis was conducted on literature from the Web of Science Core Collection Database spanning 1994–2023, focusing on TCM in the context of lung cancer treatment. Results: In total, 857 publications were included. The volume of publications from 1994 to 2023 followed an exponential function y = 0.8837e 0.2335x , with an average annual publication rate of 28.6 articles, indicating a growing interest in this field. China emerged as the most prolific contributor, accounting for approximately 92.88% of the total literature. Shanghai University of TCM was the leading institution, contributing approximately 8.63% of the total publications, with Ling Xu being the most prolific author, representing approximately 1.98%. There are notable collaborative relationships among different countries, institutions, and authors that need to be maintained and nurtured. The journal with the highest publication volume was Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , which accounted for approximately 6.18% of the total literature. The most cited journal was The Journal of Ethnopharmacology , whereas the CA-A Cancer Journal for Clinicians had the most significant impact in 2023 (Impact Factor 254.700). The most cited publication was “Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries,” and the paper with the highest centrality was “Pilot study of huachansu in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, nonsmall-cell lung cancer, or pancreatic cancer.” Key research hotspots mainly focus on the quality of life for lung cancer patients treated with TCM, NSCLC, apoptosis, metastasis, and exploration of the anti-cancer mechanisms of TCM. Research has mainly focused on exploring the potential mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of lung cancer through approaches such as network pharmacology and molecular docking. Conclusions: This study provides an in-depth and comprehensive perspective on the use of TCM for the treatment of lung cancer. We identified the current status, research hotspots, and emerging trends in this field, thereby offering invaluable information to researchers.