OBJECTIVE: This study aims to systematically evaluate the global distribution, academic impact, and technological trends of ultrasound technology in lung cancer research from 2000 to 2024 through bibliometric analysis, providing references for future research directions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the Web of Science Core Collection database, 2,617 publications from 2000 to 2024 were included. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and CiteSpace, covering publication trends, countries, institutions, authors, journals, highly cited literature, and keyword co-occurrence networks. Metrics such as publication volume, citation count, and total link strength (TLS) were quantitatively assessed.
RESULTS: From 2000 to 2024, the annual number of publications on ultrasound in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment surged from 19 to 218, with the last five years accounting for 38% of the total, indicating a continuous increase in research activity. The United States (554 publications) and China (387 publications) contributed 48% of the global output. The U.S. led in total citations (24,413), while Germany demonstrated superior research quality with an average of 57 citations per publication. Chiba University (Japan, 48 publications), the National Cancer Center Japan, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (each with 46 publications) were the most productive institutions. The international collaboration network formed a multi-center cluster with the U.S. as the core. Japanese scholar Kazuhiro Yasufuku (56 publications/3,320 citations) had the highest influence, and highly cited authors generally relied on strong international collaborations (TLS ≥ 76). Chest (86 publications/10,664 citations) was the most influential core journal in the field. Citation analysis revealed that endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) technology and lung cancer staging guidelines (highest cited: 225 times) were key research focuses. Keyword clustering identified four major research directions: bronchoscopic diagnosis, minimally invasive biopsy, comprehensive treatment, and imaging staging. Burst detection highlighted emerging hotspots such as "safety" (strength = 15.13), "yield" (17.91), "peripheral pulmonary lesions" (12.98), and "radial endobronchial ultrasound" (12.72), indicating a shift from traditional diagnosis toward efficiency quantification, precision navigation (e.g., radial ultrasound), and intelligent analysis.
CONCLUSION: From 2000 to 2024, the academic influence of ultrasound in lung cancer research significantly increased, with research hotspots evolving from technical standardization to precise staging and multimodal applications. The integration of AI and multimodal technology represents a core future direction.
