Global trends and thematic evolution of nursing in liver cancer: a bibliometric analysis of the web of science core collection (1944-2025).

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer represents a significant global health concern, and nursing care is integral to patient management. To our knowledge, this appears to be among the first studies to employ a comprehensive bibliometric approach to identify and analyze research trends in nursing in liver cancer.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search on nursing in liver cancer was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection, including only English-language articles published between January 1, 1944, and August 11, 2025. The publications were analyzed using bibliometric tools including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package “bibliometrix”.

RESULTS

This study analyzed 509 articles authored by 2,818 researchers across 954 institutions in 56 countries, with the USA leading in publications and citations. Harvard University was the top institution, and Andrew T. Chan was a key author. Cancer Nursing and Gastroenterology Nursing were prominent journals. Five thematic clusters were identified, such as psychological health, prevention and surveillance, nutritional support, epidemiological and lifestyle factors, and palliative care. Keywords like “management” and “colorectal cancer” showed persistent citation bursts from 2023 to 2025, indicating ongoing research interest in these areas.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is one of the first bibliometric analyses to specifically examine nursing research in the field of liver cancer, highlighting the importance of nursing education and clinical practice. The keyword analysis suggests that future research should focus on establishing a patient-centered care environment that supports informed decision-making, ensures continuity of care, and empowers patients through education and counseling.