Bibliometric analysis of autophagy in the diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma: a bibliometric analysis (2007–2023)

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents. Its pathogenesis is complex and poses difficulties in treatment. Autophagy is a cell biological process that plays a crucial role in the mechanistic study and treatment of osteosarcoma. The objective of this study is to evaluate the past research progress from 2007 to 2023 and visualize the key research directions through bibliometric methods. Relevant publications published from the start of 2007 to the end of 2023 were searched and screened in the Web of Science Core Collection. They were analyzed and visualized using CiteSpace and the Bibliometric online analysis platform in terms of country, institution, author, journal, cited references, and keywords. In total, 619 publications from 522 journals with 682 authors from 42 countries were screened. The country with the highest number of publications is China (<i>n</i> = 445, 71.890%), followed by the United States (<i>n</i> = 60, 9.693%). The research institution with the highest number of publications is Shanghai Jiao Tong University (<i>n</i> = 42, 6.785%). The author with the highest number of publications is Cai, Zhengdong (<i>n</i> = 7), while the most cited author is Mizushimma N (<i>n</i> = 93). Among many journals, AUTOPHAGY has the most citations (<i>n</i> = 342), while CANCER LETT shows the greatest centrality (Centrality = 0.05). "Autophagy" is the most cited keyword (<i>n</i> = 177), and the keyword with the largest burst intensity is "cancer cells" (Strength = 6.27), which lasted from 2011 to 2014. China is a major contributor to autophagy research in the field of osteosarcoma, followed by the United States. All publications are in high-quality journals. "Autophagy" is a hot research topic in this field.