ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Cardiovascular and Smooth Muscle Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1616162
Cluster Analysis of Hotspots and Research Trends of Epirubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity: A Bibliometric Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Medical Oncology of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
- 2Rehabilitation Department of The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
- 3Medical Laboratory Department of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
- 4Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Follicle Development and Reproductive Health, Jinzhou, China
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Background: Epirubicin, a widely used anthracycline, effectively treats various cancers but poses a high risk of cardiotoxicity, leading to heart failure and myocardial dysfunction. This study conducts a cluster analysis to map global research trends in epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Methods: A literature search was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R package “bibliometrix”, were employed. Results: A total of 673 studies were included in the analysis. Italy, China, and the USA led in publication volume. Unicancer was the most prolific institution. Key research was published in high-impact journals such as Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, and European Journal of Cancer. P.F. Conte, J.W. Hopewell, and B. Salvadori were the most influential authors. Cluster analysis identified four research hotspots: mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, clinical applications of chemotherapy regimens, combination therapies and pharmacokinetics, formulation advancements and cardioprotective strategies. In addition, there is a clear cut-off among the strongest citation bursts, with the period from 2004-2013 primarily concentrated on disease treatment. From 2014 onwards, the last ten years have focused on cardiotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms of cardiotoxicity. Conclusion: This bibliometric study, based on cluster analysis, identified four research hotspots including mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, clinical applications of chemotherapy regimens, combination therapies and pharmacokinetics, formulation advancements and cardioprotective strategies. Future research directions should prioritize the development of AI-driven risk prediction models, integration of multi-omics biomarkers into clinical workflows, and establishment of international cardio-oncology consortiums to enhance personalized cardioprotective strategies and optimize patient outcomes. Keywords: Epirubicin; Ca
Keywords: Epirubicin, cardiotoxicity, Cluster analysis, Bibliomrtric, BIB
Received: 22 Apr 2025; Accepted: 29 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 He, Wang, Luo and Wang. 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: Yadi Wang, Medical Oncology of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
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