Assessing Metastasis through Positron Emission Tomography (PET): An In-depth Analysis and Mapping of Thematic Clusters and Prevailing Topics in Nuclear Medicine Research

Abstract

Objective: The primary objective of the study is to conduct a critical evaluation of thematic categories within the field of nuclear medicine literature, specifically focusing on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques and the detection and evaluation of metastasis, through the application of bibliometric analysis methods. Method: Co-citation, co-occurrence and co-authorship analyses were performed on 588 academic publications selected using the Web of Science database. The analyses were performed using R-based Bibliometrix software, Python and Microsoft Excel. Results: The findings derived from the co-citation and co-occurrence network analyses shed light on the intricate nature of thematic categories within the nuclear medicine literature and provide insights into the core topics. Topics such as metastasis and tumor staging, optimisation of imaging methodology, and standardisation of clinical practice are prominent topics in the study. In particular, a single-authored article has been observed to make a significant contribution to knowledge on the efficacy of different radioactive markers used in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. Conclusion: This bibliometric assessment addresses the multidisciplinary and thematic dimensions of an in-depth understanding of the field of nuclear medicine. The study effectively identified four main thematic clusters 'PET and Cancer Types', 'FDG-PET ', 'Prostate Cancer and Recurrence', and 'Cancer Management and Imaging' and highlights the interrelatedness and importance of these categories.