Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) is observed in 12-15% of sporadic colon carcinomas. dMMR tumors have unique genetic characteristics, with mutation rates 10 to 100 times higher than those of tumors with intact mismatch repair functions. Approximately 15% of colon cancer cases exhibit mismatch repair deficiency. Moreover, the status of DNA mismatch repair deficiency holds prognostic and predictive significance in both non-metastatic and metastatic colon cancer. Therefore, we aim to comprehensively conduct a bibliometric analysis of research on mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer studies to identify research trends and potential future directions. METHODS: A total of 1428 relevant articles from January 1, 1995 to July 1, 2024 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. Knowledge graphs were analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica software as bibliometric tools to extract or calculate evaluation metrics. Publications were categorized by country, institution, author, journal, highly cited article, and keyword. These variables were compared in terms of publication and academic impact, including citation count, citation impact, H-index, and journal impact factor. RESULTS: A total of 1428 publications related to mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer were retrieved from 351 countries and 6953 research institutions. The United States and China led the way in terms of the number of publications and impact; the most prolific institution was Sun Yat-sen University, followed by the Mayo Clinic; Cancers was the journal with the most publications, while Cancer Research was the most cited journal; André, Thierry was the most prolific author, and Thibodeau, Stephen N. had the highest H-index of all authors; the five most cutting-edge keywords identified were colorectal cancer, microsatellite instability, immunotherapy, Lynch syndrome, and mismatch repair. Among these, topics such as Nivolumab, PD-1 blockade, open label, mismatch repair deficient, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and metastatic colorectal cancer remain the hot topics in this field. CONCLUSION: Research on mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer is poised to enter a golden age in the coming years. This study not only provides insights into the directions and frontiers of mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer research but also highlights that the treatment of mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer benefits from a multidisciplinary approach. The comparison of different immune-assisted therapies will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the therapeutic landscape. Ultimately, large-scale and well-designed clinical trials are required to establish a recognized standard that can benefit more patients with mismatch repair-deficient colon cancer.