Cervical cancer remains a significant global health concern, ranking as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. In 2022 alone, there were approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths attributed to cervical cancer, and 94% of these deaths occurred in low and middle-income Human Development Index (HDI) countries (1). Despite initiatives such as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) strategy to eradicate cervical cancer through a triple-pillar approach: HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment, the impact of this disease persists (2). Innovative methods, such as single-dose vaccination, HPV DNA tests, and same-day screen-and-treat procedures, are being explored to improve prevention and treatment outcomes (3). It is anticipated that the successful implementation of these strategies could significantly reduce new cervical cancer cases and related deaths by 2050 (4). However, challenges remain in achieving the WHO’s cervical cancer elimination targets, predominantly in low and middle-income countries where the majority of the total cervical cancer cases and deaths occur (4). While preventive measures such as human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screenings have shown progress in reducing incidence rates, particularly in regions with high HIV prevalence, many women still confront challenges associated with advanced or metastatic cervical cancer and its mortality rates (5, 6).

Palliative care is a specialized approach that provides holistic support to patients facing life-limiting illnesses, focusing on pain and symptom management, communication, quality of life, family support, and grief support (7, 8). While traditionally associated with cancer care, the need for palliative care extends to all serious illnesses, emphasizing the importance of addressing suffering and preserving the welfare of the patients (9, 10). Palliative care is essential in cervical cancer management due to the high prevalence of late-stage diagnoses and significant symptom burden (11). Palliative care is particularly vital given that advanced cervical cancer can lead to severe symptoms that significantly interfere with quality of life (12). It addresses physical, psychological, social, and spiritual issues throughout the disease trajectory, improving patient satisfaction, treatment compliance, and well-being (11). Palliative care is needed to manage pain, bleeding, fistulas, and other complications from treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy, which can affect ovarian, urinary, and bowel function (13). An essential package of palliative care for cervical cancer (EPPCCC) is designed to be universally accessible, but some patients may require an augmented package to address refractory suffering, including specialized pain management, surgical procedures, and psycho-oncologic therapies (14). In short, the severity of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual suffering experienced by cervical cancer patients and their caregivers highlights the urgent need for global and regional strategic planning to align health investments with the identified needs for palliative care services (12, 15).

Bibliometric analysis uses mathematical and statistical methods to quantitatively analyze scientific literature (such as books, journal articles, and data sets, along with their associated metadata like abstracts, keywords, and citations), identifying patterns, trends, and impacts within specific fields (16). It involves data collection, cleaning, and subjecting data to various bibliometric methods to generate meaningful information. This analysis technique is increasingly popular for examining and assessing enormous amounts of scientific data to rectify flawed content or ethical concerns (17), structure and centralize literature efficiently, and provide researchers with trends and insights (18). Additionally, bibliometric analysis is crucial in understanding the relevant domain’s developments, impacts, and future directions, highlighting trends, citation networks, and subject clusters in the research (19).

Lately, bibliometric analysis has gained importance in medical research, offering insights into research trends, influential papers, authors, and institutions (20). Bibliometric studies often employ specialized software like VOSviewer, Bibliometrix R Package’s web app Biblioshiny, CiteSpace, etc., for data visualization and mapping (21, 22). In medical sciences, bibliometrics can inform funding decisions, academic promotions, and healthcare planning (23). The growing acceptance of bibliometric analyses in medical literature reflects their value in identifying influential research and guiding future investigations (20).

At present, there is absence of research analyzing the status of palliative care for cervical cancer using the bibliometrics approach. A bibliometric analysis of global research in palliative care for cervical cancer is warranted for several reasons. First, such an analysis can provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific outputs, identify influential journals, authors, and institutions, and highlight the collaboration between countries. Additionally, it can reveal research trends, gaps, and the field’s evolution, which is crucial for guiding future research and policy-making. Interestingly, despite the recognized global health burden of cancer in palliative care and the specific challenges associated with cervical cancer, there is evidence of underutilization of palliative care services (24), suggesting a potential disconnect between research outputs and clinical practice, highlighting the need for bibliometric studies to inform strategies for better integrating palliative care in oncology (14).

The lack of a comprehensive grasp of global research developments and trends in this field underscores the need to bridge this gap. Pinpointing research deficiencies, identifying key contributors, and fostering collaboration are essential to advance palliative care for patients coping with cervical cancer. The current study addresses the critical gap in knowledge by employing a bibliometric analysis to investigate scholarly output on palliative care for cervical cancer thoroughly. This analysis examines publication trends, authorship patterns, influential journals, trending topics, and thematic concentrations within relevant articles to understand the current state of research, identify best practices, and address the unique challenges of managing cervical cancer symptoms. The insights gained from this study are poised to direct future research directions, help develop evidence-based guidelines, and inform healthcare providers and policymakers about the need to enhance palliative care services for individuals affected by cervical cancer.

This study identified 2,492 publications about palliative care for cervical cancer published in Scopus between 2000 and 2023, including 79.9% articles and 20.1% reviews. This investigation revealed that 12,804 authors contributed to producing 2,492 manuscripts published in 677 journals and citing 63,994 references.

The current study conducted a scientometric analysis of 2,492 documents on palliative care for cervical cancer published from 2000 to 2023. Analysis unveiled that during this period, there was a steady increase in the overall quantity of scientific output. The production of articles grew at an average annual rate of 10.82% and peaked in 2021. Although 2021 is well noticed for the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in research publications in 2021 (28). The upward trend indicated that the relevant research field thrived from 2000 to 2023. Notably, the rise in the number of publications on palliative care for cervical cancer can be attributed to the increase in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer, as well as the progression in awareness about the effective role of palliative care in symptom management. In the future, with the introduction of additional guidelines and the maturation of palliative care models, one can expect a continued expansion of literature in this field. Moreover, the high average citations per article implied that publishing research on palliative care for cervical cancer in reputable journals poses no challenge.

12,804 prolific authors contributed towards the research area of interest. The authors’ analysis used the number and citations of publications to assess individual authors. Bray F emerged as the most significant author regarding the total number of publications and H-index. He also secured the most co-citation collaborative networks. The analysis of countries/regions discovered North America (USA and Canada), the UK, and India as the hubs for scientific production in this field. Notably, with 827 papers, the United States distinguished itself as the top nation in scientific output, but citation-wise, Belgium aced the contest with 2,573 citations. Based on the total number of publications, the US was at the forefront of this field’s research, and surprisingly, Belgium led in the citation count. The country-wise contribution to palliative care for cervical cancer publications was dominated by high-income countries, indicating that publications on this subject are predominantly centred in developed countries, highlighting a significant imbalance in research infrastructure and funding, leaving lower-income regions behind in this crucial field.

3,885 institutions and 677 journals were identified as the providers of publications in palliative care for cervical cancer. Harvard University appeared as the most productive institution in the field, while the Gynecologic Oncology firmed its place as the most relevant journal. However, the H-index metric ranked Lancet Oncology as the most influential journal. The collaboration network analysis depicted that the most prominent cluster was comprised primarily of USA-based institutions. Also, the USA contributed the most to the most pertinent journal, Gynecologic Oncology. The co-authorship collaborative ventures based on country showed that the US authors actively collaborated with a vast network of authors from other countries. Therefore, broadening collaborative networks to encompass additional geographic areas to support developing countries is advisable.

The authors’ keyword examination gave insight into the central themes and trends in publications related to palliative care for cervical cancer, indicating an increased research emphasis on vaccination and early diagnosis, cervical cancer treatment, and enhancement of cervical cancer care by integrating palliative care into standard clinical management. The thematic research areas in palliative care for cervical cancer included surgery and survival, cervical cancer, palliative care and hospice, palliative chemotherapy, radiotherapy, ovarian cancer, treatment and diagnosis, cancer pain, quality of life (pro)/palliative care, screening, and prevention. The areas were found to be consistent with the subject domain theme. The growing attention to palliative care in cervical cancer is promising yet underexplored. It is pertinent to explore the role of palliative care in managing physical, social, spiritual, and psychological distress among cervical cancer patients, highlighting the need for dedicated research efforts to explore this potential synergy.

The current research’s analysis was conducted on data retrieved from Scopus, which offers extensive coverage of peer-reviewed literature but may not contain all journal publications across all disciplines. This decision was justified by software limitations and the inherent challenges associated with merging data from diverse databases. Exclusion criteria further imposed a language restriction, limiting the study to English-language publications, which inevitably omitted some potentially relevant articles. Moreover, as with any bibliometric analysis, the chosen keywords and search string might have inadvertently excluded relevant studies. No search strategy can capture all pertinent research, and alternative approaches could reveal further nuances within the field. Therefore, while this analysis offers valuable insights into the global landscape of palliative care for cervical cancer research, future research can build upon it by addressing these limitations and expanding the scope of inquiry to optimize palliative care strategies further and improve patient outcomes worldwide.

The present study employed a bibliometric approach to explore the current research landscape and emerging trends in palliative care for cervical cancer, focusing on publications indexed in Scopus between 2000 and 2023. Based on the findings, it was evident that there has been a steady increase in the number of publications on this topic over the past two decades. However, the study unveils limited collaborative engagement among nations and intercountry institutional networks, with research predominantly concentrated in high-income economies. As such, there is a notable scarcity of studies conducted in developing countries. Therefore, to facilitate the widespread adoption of palliative care services in cervical cancer treatment worldwide, aggressive collaborative efforts are required. Such as enhancing global and local collaboration in research, augmenting funding assistance, and conducting cutting-edge research that addresses the specific needs and demands of different regions. By fostering cooperation and conducting demand-driven research, advancements in the realm of palliative care for cervical cancer can be achieved, ultimately improving the quality of care for patients globally (29).