EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF GUT MICROBIOTA MODULATION ON COLORECTAL CANCER THERAPY: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PROBIOTIC AND PREBIOTIC INTERVENTIONS.

OBJECTIVE

This study is a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications reporting the beneficial effects of gut microbiota modulation by probiotics and/or prebiotics on colorectal cancer.

METHODS

This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and focused on English peer-reviewed research articles published between 2020 and 2025, as indexed in Google Scholar and PubMed. Search terms included "Colorectal Cancer", "Colon Cancer", "Colorectal Carcinoma", "Colon Carcinoma" and "Gut Microbiota". A total of 116 studies were selected and manually reviewed, taking into account the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The bibliometric analysis of 37 studies revealed that China leads research efforts, primarily focusing on prebiotics (70.3%), such as dietary fibres, while probiotic-focused studies are limited (24.3%) due to practical challenges. Although the combined use of prebiotics and probiotics (2.7%) is theoretically beneficial, their practical application remains complicated. The trend in the literature aligns with a growing interest in traditional medicine and functional foods, but annual publication rates have declined, with only three papers from 2025 (30.8%). Despite recognising microbial diversity, the number of probiotic-based studies is low, with Clostridium butyricum being the most prevalent species.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this analysis underscores the critical role of gut microbiota in CRC treatment and the potential of natural compounds, while highlighting the need for further research. Further research is essential to deepen our understanding of gut microbiota dynamics and optimise therapeutic approaches for patients with CRC.