An evidence gap map of the personalized medicine in bladder cancer.

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to develop an Evidence Gap Map (EGM) to summarize the current evidence cited in personalized medicine (PM) in bladder cancer, focusing on systematic reviews and high-level evidence syntheses.

Methods: The review involved a comprehensive search in databases up to June 2024, and involved a two-phase analysis, using data from PubMed for scientometric analysis and R Studio with the Biblioshiny tool for co-occurring word network analysis.

Results: After filtering out irrelevant articles, the selection was narrowed to 3,705 items. The most frequently occurring words were aged, middle-aged, animals, cell lines, tumor, prognosis, gene expression, and mice. The study identified gaps and under-researched categories in PM and bladder cancer research, with Immunotherapy, Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Therapy, and Gene Therapy being the most researched areas. The evidence map revealed a predominance of low or moderate quality evidence in most domains of PM in bladder cancer, particularly within clinical trials for immunotherapy and biomarker.

Conclusions: The field of PM in bladder cancer requires robust research methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration to overcome challenges. By improving study design and data quality, the field can translate scientific discoveries into clinical innovations, utilizing molecular profiling and targeted therapies to enhance treatment strategies and improve outcomes.