Analyzing research trends in the relationship between immunosuppressants and cancer following organ transplantation: a bibliometric study from 2001 to 2023.

Abstract

Background: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in investigating the potential benefits or risks associated with using immunosuppressants for treating specific tumors post organ transplantation, with a focus on selecting appropriate drugs, doses, and treatment protocols. This study used bibliometric analysis to evaluate research trends and hotspots in this field.

Materials and methods: A systematic search was conducted on the Web of Science to identify studies focusing immunosuppressants and cancer following organ transplantation from 2001 to 2023. The search strategy utilized a variety of the keywords including "immunosuppressants", "cancer" and "transplant". Data extraction involved recording various parameters such as title, author, institution, country, publication, citation, H-index, immunosuppressant, and type of transplantation.

Results: The analysis encompassed a total of 94 studies. The findings revealed that the period from 2005 to 2010 emerged as the most influential timeframe within this research. The United States ranked highest in the number of publications, with Vivarelli M identified as the most productive author, and the University of Bologna recognized as the most productive institute. "Immunosuppression", "rapamycin" and "kidney" were identified as the key hotspots within this field. Notably, rapamycin was identified as the predominant immunosuppressant and kidney transplantation emerged as the most prominent type of transplantation.

Conclusions: While immunosuppressants have been extensively utilized in organ transplant procedures, certain associated cancer risks have not been well addressed. Further long-term monitoring studies are required for numerous immunosuppressants to elucidate precise applications and potential implications for solid-organ transplant recipients.