A Quantitative Bibliometric and Patentometric Study on the Role of HER2 in Breast Cancer: A Review

Introduction: Breast cancer is not only the most prevalent form of cancer, but also the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in learning more about the processes behind the development and treatment of breast cancer. This study aimed to undertake a bibliometric analysis of research on breast cancer and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, highlighting principal research trends, dynamics, and scientific outputs in the field. Method: Research and review publications, as well as patents on breast cancer and HER2, were retrieved from the Scopus database and WIPO patent scope. The bibliometric tool VOSviewer was employed for data analysis and visualization. Results: The analysis revealed the prominent role of the countries, authors, journals, and organizations in exploring this area in research papers, and data on patents showed an increase in patenting activity. Discussion: Our study revealed a significant exponential growth in publications on this topic over the last decade, with the high-impact Journal of Clinical Oncology exhibiting the maximum co-citations. Researcher Rugo, H.S., had the highest number of publications and citations. The A61K code was the highest, related to preparations for medical purposes. Jens Fritsche was found to work on the top patents. Genentech Inc. filed the highest number of applications, and the USA showed the highest number of research papers and patenting activities. Conclusion: The information provided in this article may help researchers to better understand hotspots and developing patterns in this research area. This study has advocated for the exploration of innovative HER2-targeting therapies that could revolutionize breast cancer treatment.