Current Perspectives and Trend of Acupuncture in Breast Cancer-Related Symptoms: A Bibliometric Study

Purpose: This bibliometric research aims to delineate global publication trends and emerging research interests in the use of acupuncture for breast cancer (BC)-related symptoms treatment over the past three decades. Furthermore, it identifies influential institutions, potential collaborative partners, and future research trends, thereby providing guidance for relevant, novel research directions. Methods: Scientific publications related to acupuncture for BC-related symptoms were gathered from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from 1993 to 2023. Four software applications were principally used to analyze the resulting data: the "bibliometrix" package in the R environment (version 4.2.3), VOSviewer, CiteSpace6.1.R6, and the bibliometrics website. These applications were employed to evaluate different parameters. Results: A total of 621 papers on acupuncture in BC-related symptoms treatment were analyzed. The United States, China, and South Korea contributed the most, with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Columbia University leading institutions. It is interesting to mention that Mao, Jun J. and Molassiotis, A. feature among the top 10 authors and co-cited authors. JAMA is the leading journal, with an ongoing focus on acupuncture's effectiveness. Keywords show that the initial research focus was mainly on "vasomotor symptoms", but in recent years there has been a gradual shift towards "pain", "chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)", "electroacupuncture", and "non-specific effects". Conclusion: Acupuncture has demonstrated a unique value in the process of adjuvant treatment of BC-related symptoms, and has been shown to be effective in reducing pain, eliminating fatigue, and improving quality of life. The study of the mechanisms of acupuncture and the application of electroacupuncture are possible future research priorities in this field. This study offers a deep perspective on acupuncture for BC research, highlighting key points and future trends.