From Androgen Deprivation to Precision Therapy: A Bibliometric Review of Global Research Trends (2008-2023).

Abstract

This review employs bibliometric methods to map the evolving landscape of prostate cancer endocrine therapy research over the past 15 years. Through analysis of 961 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection, we identified key trends in therapeutic innovation and clinical translation. The United States emerged as the dominant contributor (34.96% of publications), with Harvard University and the University of California System leading institutional output. Three paradigm shifts emerged: early stage research focused on optimizing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) efficacy (2008-2013), followed by castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) drug development (2014-2016), and recent emphasis on combination therapies and molecular targeting (2017-2023). The top 50 most cited papers confirmed that keyword clusters directly corresponded to pivotal trials, including TAMPEDE (NCT00268476) and PROSPER (NCT02003924). The translational science spectrum model revealed that 68% of current clinical applications originated from basic research on androgen receptor variants. Emerging frontiers include prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted radioligand therapy and immunotherapy-ADT synergies. This synthesis provides clinicians with an evidence-based roadmap to navigate therapeutic advancements while highlighting the critical need for international collaboration in addressing persistent challenges such as treatment resistance.