Global trends in breast cancer bone metastasis research (2009-2024) - A bibliometric and visual analysis of hotspots and future directions

Sep 30, 2026

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Breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM) is a common, life-altering complication affecting survival and quality of life. Mapping the global research landscape is essential for directing future investigations. This bibliometric study visualizes and analyzes international trends in BCBM from 2009 to 2024, using Web of Science Core Collection literature and CiteSpace/VOSviewer to assess contributions, countries, journals, keywords, hotspots, and research frontiers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

Introduction

Wang et al. Discover Oncology (2026) 17:27 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-03852-x](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-03852-x) Discover Oncology RESEARCH Open Access Global trends in breast cancer bone metastasis research (2009–2024): a bibliometric and visual analysis of hotspots and future directions Zhichao Wang 1†, Yin Zuo2,3†, Xinyu Chen2,3†, Yongchun Pan4, Zhicheng He2,3, Songrui Xu2,3, Yuan Li2,3, Pengcui Li2,3, Xiaochun Wei2,3, Yunfeng Xu5, Yi Feng2,3* and Zhi Tian2,3,5,6* †Zhichao Wang, Yin Zuo and Xinyu Chen are co-first author. *Correspondence: Yi Feng fengyi [160@126.com](160@126.com) Zhi Tian [drtianzhi@163.com](drtianzhi@163.com) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article Abstract Background Breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM) is a prevalent complication with significant impact on patient survival and quality of life. Understanding the research landscape is crucial for guiding future studies. This bibliometric analysis aims to visualize and analyze global research trends in BCBM from 2009 to 2024. Methods The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was searched for relevant literature on BCBM published between 2009 and 2024. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were utilized to perform visual mapping and analyze contributors, countries/regions, journals, keywords, research hotspots, and frontiers. Results A total of 210 articles met the inclusion criteria. The annual publication output showed a general upward trend. Ottewell, Penelope D published the most papers (12) . China (74 articles, 35 . 24%) and the United States (71 articles, 33 . 81%) were the leading contributing countries, with no significant difference in output volume (χ²= 0 . 12, P = 0 . 729) . Cancers was the most prolific journal. Keyword clustering analysis revealed central themes including “breast cancer”,“bone metastasis”,“expression”,“cell”, and “growth”. Burst keyword detection indicated current research hotspots focus on the tumor-bone microenvironment (BMME) and tumor cell-bone cell interactions. Analysis of co-cited references highlighted foundational research on metastatic mechanisms. Conclusion From 2009 to the present, many studies have been conducted in the field of breast cancer bone metastasis, and various results have been achieved. Currently, academics are more inclined to explore the specific mechanism from the perspective of molecular biology, and use it to develop corresponding targeted drugs for clinical practice, future research should prioritize microenvironmental crosstalk and AI-driven predictive models to accelerate therapeutic breakthroughs. Keywords Breast cancer, Bone metastasis, Bone metastasis microenvironment (BMME), Bibliometrics, Molecular mechanisms © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/l](http://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. 1 Introduction Bibliometrics, which integrates mathematics, statistics, and informatics, enables the quantitative analysis of literature

FAQs

What is the research purpose of the bibliometric analysis?

To visualize and analyze global research trends in breast cancer bone metastasis from 2009 to 2024 and identify hotspots and future directions.

Which data source and tools were used?

The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was searched, and CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for visual mapping and analysis.

What were the key findings about research trends?

Publication output increased overall, leading countries were China and the United States, Cancers was the most prolific journal, and keyword bursts highlighted tumor-bone microenvironment and tumor cell–bone cell interactions.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by James