Table 2_Tracing scientific progress: thematic shifts and emerging directions in proton therapy for glioma based on top-cited papers.docx

PurposeThis study aims to delineate the scientific advancements in proton therapy for glioma by analyzing the most frequently cited articles over the past 30 years.
MethodsWeb of Science Core Collection and Scopus were independently queried for articles on proton therapy for glioma published between 1997 and 2025. Only items present in both databases were retained for downstream bibliometric analyses. The 100 most-cited articles from this intersection set were extracted for in-depth mapping of countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references and keywords. Data processing and visualisation were carried out with CiteSpace, VOSviewer, R-bibliometrix and the online bibliometric platform.
ResultsThe United States showcased its strong global leadership in this field, leading in publication output and maintaining extensive collaborative networks with multiple countries. Massachusetts General Hospital emerged as the most prolific institution with 29 papers. Tarbell NJ, Macdonald SM, and Yock TI ranked as the top three authors with 15, 15, and 13 papers, respectively. The analysis also revealed emerging research directions such as “Monte-carlo simulations,” “childhood-cancer survivor,” “cognitive function,” “subventricular zone,” and “radiation necrosis,” which warrant increased attention.
ConclusionThis bibliometric analysis represents the first systematic identification of the most influential 100 articles on glioma proton therapy. There is a pressing need to further enhance the clinical efficacy of glioma proton therapy while improving safety and reducing treatment costs, to ultimately bring more benefits to patients.

研究目的：本研究旨在通过分析近30年来被引频次最高的学术文献，阐明胶质瘤质子治疗（proton therapy）领域的科学研究进展。
研究方法：本研究独立检索Web of Science核心合集（Web of Science Core Collection）与Scopus数据库（Scopus），筛选1997年至2025年间发表的胶质瘤质子治疗相关学术论文，仅保留同时被两个数据库收录的文献用于后续文献计量分析。从该交集文献集中提取被引频次最高的100篇论文，对其所属国家/地区、研究机构、作者、期刊、参考文献及关键词进行深度图谱分析。数据处理与可视化工作依托CiteSpace、VOSviewer、R-bibliometrix及在线文献计量平台完成。
研究结果：美国在该领域展现出强劲的全球领先地位，发文量位居全球首位，并与多国保持广泛的学术合作网络。麻省总医院（Massachusetts General Hospital）以29篇论文成为该领域发文量最多的研究机构。Tarbell NJ、Macdonald SM与Yock TI位列发文量前三甲，分别发表论文15篇、15篇与13篇。本分析还揭示了若干新兴研究方向，包括“蒙特卡洛模拟（Monte-carlo simulations）”、“儿童癌症幸存者”、“认知功能”、“室管膜下区”及“放射性坏死”，上述方向值得学界进一步关注。
研究结论：本次文献计量分析首次系统性地甄别出胶质瘤质子治疗领域影响力排名前100的学术文献。当前亟需进一步提升胶质瘤质子治疗的临床疗效，同时优化治疗安全性、降低治疗成本，最终为患者带来更多获益。