AUTHOR=Liu Shufang , Zhang Jingdan , Tan Ziye , Zhou Bo 

TITLE=Artificial intelligence in head and neck cancer: a bibliometric analysis of research landscape, emerging trends, and challenges

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1604136

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2025.1604136

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundHead and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. As an aggressive malignancy, it is characterized by high metastasis rates, complex anatomy, challenging treatments, high recurrence rates, and significant disability. Over the past decade, advancements in big data, AI algorithms, and hardware have enabled artificial intelligence to make substantial contributions to addressing medical challenges in oncology, including head and neck cancer. The era of AI-driven head and neck tumor management may soon arrive. Despite significant attention, there has been a lack of quantitative literature-based studies in this field.ObjectiveThis study aims to delineate the knowledge structure, hotspots, and trends in AI applications for head and neck cancers since 1995 through bibliometric analysis.MethodWe conducted a comprehensive literature search via the Web of Science, utilizing tools such as CiteSpace, ArcGIS, and VOSviewer for analysis, with a focus on key countries, institutions, authors, and emerging topics.ResultWe analyzed 362 papers authored by 235 researchers from 189 institutions across 55 countries, with China leading in publication output. Radiotherapy and Oncology was the most influential journal. Bur, Andres M was the pioneering author, and the University of Texas System ranked as the top publishing institution. Currently, the most significant keywords include “target volumes,” “prognosis,” “algorithm,” “survival,” “lesions,” and “automatic diagnosis.” Additionally, we identified 12 keyword clusters in the field, with the latest five clusters labeled as “automatic diagnosis”, “explainable artificial intelligence”, “guidelines”, “research trends”, and “natural intelligence”.ConclusionThis article provides a concise overview of the current landscape and emerging trends in AI applications for head and neck cancer research, offering insights and guiding future studies in this evolving field.