Abstract
BACKGROUND: As the global cancer burden intensifies, the significance of cancer patient care practices in alleviating symptoms, enhancing quality of life, and promoting treatment adherence has become increasingly pronounced. Cancer patients encounter unique care needs arising from the complexities of the disease and the side effects of treatment, which has catalyzed rapid growth in research within this field. Nevertheless, there is currently a deficiency in systematic reviews of the research hotspots and trends in cancer care. Bibliometric and scientific mapping analyses serve as robust tools for uncovering the dynamic evolution of disciplines. OBJECTIVE: This research was based on the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database and retrieved literature related to cancer patient care practices from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2024. Using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and bibliometric tools, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on the number of published papers, authors, institutions, keywords, and more, with visual mapping employed to explore research hotspots and development trends. RESULTS: This study analyzed a total of 428 documents, encompassing 1435 institutions across 46 countries and published in 138 journals. Since 2014, there has been a rapid increase in the annual publication volume. Notably, Chinese publications have led in both quantity and citations. Among these, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China has produced the highest number of publications. The most prolific author in this field is Wang Lin, while the most cited author is Riitta Suhonen.