Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma, a prevalent malignancy, threatens global health. Traditional Chinese medicine is widely applied in liver cancer treatment. This study assesses traditional Chinese medicine research trends and hotspots in this field through bibliometric analysis. METHODS: Publications related to traditional Chinese medicine and liver cancer from 2011 to 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database, and bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R-bibliometrix. RESULTS: A total of 446 articles, led by China, were included, and the number of articles related to traditional Chinese medicine and liver cancer has been increasing year by year. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine are the main research institutions. Among the authors of these articles, Chen Yan has published the most papers, and JEMAL A has the most citations. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine is the most popular journals in this field and is also the most co-cited journal. Research focuses on integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern medicine, with emerging hotspots including therapy, analysis systems, nanoparticles, and activation. CONCLUSIONS: This first comprehensive bibliometric analysis clarifies research frontiers and guides future directions in liver cancer and Chinese herbal medicine studies.