Abstract
Radiationtherapy is a core modality of cancer treatment; however, concerns have been expressed regarding its underutilization and its lack of prioritization as a research domain relative to other cancer treatment modalities, despite its rapid technical evolution. It is therefore important to understand, from a public policy perspective, the evolution of global radiation therapy research, to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. This study used a bibliometric approach to undertake a quantitative analysis of global radiation therapy research published between 2001 and 2015 and available in the Web of Science (Wos) database, with particular focus on the 25 leading research-active countries. A total of 62,550 radiation therapy research articles from 127 countries, published in 2531 international journals, were analyzed. The United States was responsible for 32.3% of these outputs, followed by Japan (8.0%) and Germany (7.7%). Nearly half of all publications related to preparation and delivery of radiation therapy, combined-modality regimens, and dose fractionation studies. Health services research, palliative care, and quality of life studies represented only 2%, 5%, and 4% of all research outputs, respectively. Countries varied significantly in their commitment to different research domains, and trial-related publications represented only 5.1% of total output. Research impact was analyzed according to 3 different citation scores, with research outputs from Denmark, The Netherlands, and the United States consistently the highest ranked. Globally, radiation therapy publication outputs continue to increase but lag behind other spheres of cancer management. The types of radiation therapy research undertaken appear to be regionally patterned, and there is a clear disconcordance between the volume of research output from individual countries and its citation impact. Greater support for radiation therapy research in low- and middle-income countries is required, including international collaboration. The study findings are expected to provide the requisite knowledge to guide future radiation therapy research programs.
Highlights
Cancer research is one of the most globally active domains of science, with more than $14 billion per annum in public and private expenditure [1]
Given the outcomes it can deliver with respect to survival and quality of life, its underutilization as a clinical modality [3] and the lack of prioritization it has been given as a research domain within the cancer spectrum remain major concerns
We examine the growth in research output from 25 leading countries, the volume of research produced relative to their wealth, the main radiation therapy research domains these countries prioritize, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics and the citation impact of radiation therapy research stratified according to country and research domain
Summary
Cancer research is one of the most globally active domains of science, with more than $14 billion per annum in public and private expenditure [1]. Given the outcomes it can deliver with respect to survival and quality of life, its underutilization as a clinical modality [3] and the lack of prioritization it has been given as a research domain within the cancer spectrum remain major concerns. A recent study within lung cancer has found that only 8% of lung cancer research is devoted to radiation therapy research, compared with 20% for genetics, 17% for systemic therapies, and 16% for prognostic biomarkers [5]. This undoubtedly will influence patterns of care for particular disease entities and the potential for new developments that will improve patient outcomes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
