Visualization Analysis of Research Hotspots and Development Trends of Immune Cells in Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer
10.3971/j.issn.1000-8578.2026.26.0009
- VernacularTitle:直肠癌放射治疗中免疫细胞相关研究的热点与发展趋势可视化分析
- Author:
Lingzhen JIANG
1
;
Feiyu QIN
1
;
Yuna LI
1
;
Yan QIN
2
;
Junhui TANG
1
;
Liang MING
1
;
Xiaowei QI
2
;
Zhaohui HUANG
1
;
Yuan YIN
3
Author Information
1. Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214062, China;Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
2. Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
3. Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214062, China.
- Publication Type:CLINICALRESEARCH
- Keywords:
Immune microenvironment;
Immune cells;
Radiotherapy;
Rectal cancer
- From:
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment
2026;53(7):523-533
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To analyze the overall characteristics, research hotspots, and development trends of immune cell-related studies in radiotherapy for rectal cancer. Methods A systematic search was conducted by using Web of Science Core Collection to retrieve articles related to radiation therapy and immune cells in rectal cancer published from 1991 to 2024. Advanced bibliometric tools, such as VOSviewer and CiteSpace, were utilized to facilitate analysis and describe publication trends, geographic contributions, institutional affiliations, journal prominence, author collaboration, and prominent keywords. Results The annual number of relevant publications has increased steadily, showing remarkable growth over the past five years. Studies focusing on adaptive immune cells (T and B cells) account for the largest proportion of works and form the most extensive collaboration networks, reflecting the central role of T cell–mediated antitumor immunity in radiotherapy. Meanwhile, innate immune cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells, macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils, are increasingly investigated for their regulatory roles in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment and influencing therapeutic responses. Among countries, China and the United States have contributed the highest number of publications and demonstrated strong academic influence. While several stable research groups have been formed, intergroup collaboration remains limited. Keyword analysis revealed that radiotherapy-induced immune modulation, tumor immune microenvironment remodeling, and treatment response have emerged as major research hotspots. Conclusion Research on immune cells in rectal cancer radiotherapy has progressed rapidly in recent years. The emphasis of this field has gradually shifted from single-treatment approaches to mechanistic studies investigating the interaction between radiotherapy and the tumor immune microenvironment. The field still demonstrates considerable potential for future research and clinical translational applications.
