Bibliometric analysis of PDT in cancer treatment from 2003 to 2023

This study uses bibliometric analysis to explore the evolving hotspots and research directions in the field of photodynamic therapy (PDT), aiming to provide a reference for its application and research in cancer treatment. Articles on PDT in cancer over the past 20 years were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Data management was conducted using Microsoft Office. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to analyze collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors, as well as to identify current research hotspots. Over the past two decades, 97 countries have conducted research on the application of PDT in cancer. Keyword analysis revealed that future research hotspots include "tumor hypoxia, " "aggregation-induced emission, " "tumor microenvironment, " "design, " "immunogenic cell death, " "immunotherapy, " "metal-organic frameworks, " "ROS." Research on PDT in cancer is becoming increasingly widespread. Future research is likely to focus on photosensitizer nanomaterials, immunogenic cell death, drug delivery systems, and the tumor microenvironment.