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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.

Sec. Gynecological Oncology

Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1567022

Mapping the relationship between obesity and endometrial cancer: Current research hotspots and future trends (2003-2024)

Provisionally accepted
Lei  LiangLei Liang1Chuangxiu  SongChuangxiu Song2Bo  YangBo Yang1Chun  ChangChun Chang1Shichao  ChenShichao Chen1Li  SunLi Sun1*
  • 1The 980th Hospital of the Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
  • 2Neck, Shoulder, Lumbar and Leg Pain Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Obesity is an independent risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC). Bibliometrics allows for the analysis of multiple data from published publications to identify the current state of research and future trends and to construct a knowledge framework. There is a lack of high-quality bibliometric analyses of obesity and EC. Methods: This study retrieved publications related to obesity and EC from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) from 2003 to 2024. Publication trends were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019, while CiteSpace (v.6.4.R1 Advanced) was employed to analyze institutional co-occurrence, cited journals, journal co-citation mapping, co-cited references, and keywords. VOSviewer (v.1.6.20) was used to analyze the journals in which the publications appeared. SCImago Graphica (v.1.0.39) was utilized to investigate the distribution and collaboration of countries/regions, institutional collaborations, and author collaborations. Results: 681 publications from 2003 to 2024 were included in the final analysis. The volume of publications showed an upward trend, peaking in 2021. The United States was the country with the highest number of publications, with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) being the leading institution. Scholars Emma J. Crosbie and Faina Linkov had the highest publication counts, while CALLE EE was the most cited scholar. The journal Gynecologic Oncology (Q1/4.5) published the most relevant articles and was also the most frequently cited journal. The most common keywords were "endometrial cancer," "body mass index," and "risk." Current research focuses on exploring the mechanisms linking obesity and EC and analyzing the impact of obesity on clinical treatment strategies for EC. Future research directions include: (1) expanding the scope to related diseases of EC; (2) emphasizing typical indicators and diagnostic techniques for EC; (3) developing new treatment methods and technologies to enhance clinical efficacy; and (4) further strengthening the exploration of the pathological mechanisms related to obesity and EC. Conclusion: This study comprehensively summarizes the knowledge structure of obesity and EC and identifies key research hotspots and trends. Based on our findings, the formation of a multidisciplinary team, the rational application of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the further enhancement of the exploration of the pathological mechanisms associated with obesity and EC as

Keywords: Obesity, endometrial cancer, Research hotspots, Research trends, bibliometric analysis

Received: 26 Jan 2025; Accepted: 11 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Liang, Song, Yang, Chang, Chen and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Li Sun, The 980th Hospital of the Chinese PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China

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