Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC): a comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for over 90% of oral malignancies and remains a major health challenge. The 8th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (2017), which highlighted depth of invasion (DOI) and extranodal extension (ENE) as prognosticators, reshaped OSCC research. This study provides a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of OSCC research from 2017–2023, mapping global productivity, leading contributors, emerging themes, collaborations, and funding trends. Methods: Scopus was searched on 12 January 2024 using TITLE-ABS-KEY (“oral squamous cell carcinoma”) OR (“retrospective oral cancer”) without language or document-type filters. Eligible records included original articles, reviews, and conference papers. Extracted metadata covered publication details, affiliations, funding, keywords, and citations. Descriptive analyses were performed in Excel, while VOSviewer generated co-authorship and keyword networks. Results: A total of 3,622 OSCC publications were identified, dominated by original articles (81.5%). Annual output increased from 395 in 2017 to 627 in 2021, with sustained growth thereafter. The United States, India, and China were leading contributors, with Chang Gung institutions highly productive. Oral Oncology was the top journal, while NIH, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Taiwanese agencies were major funders. Emerging themes included HPV, betel quid, microbiome, tumor microenvironment, and checkpoint inhibitors, though collaborations were largely intra-national. Conclusions: Since 2017, OSCC research has expanded in scope, with increasing focus on molecular and immuno-oncology. However, prevention, early detection, and equitable global collaboration remain underrepresented, highlighting the need for translational rebalancing.

Keywords: : Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, : Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Scientometrics