Unraveling the anoikis-cancer nexus: a bibliometric analysis of research trends and mechanisms
Creators: name: Jiang, Junjie
name: Peng, Wei
name: Sun, Nianzhe
name: Zhao, Deze
name: Cui, Weifang
name: Lai, Yuwei
name: Zhang, Chunfang
name: Duan, Chaojun
name: Zeng, Wei
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: Cancer, influenced by genetics and the environment, involves anoikis, a cell death mechanism upon extracellular matrix detachment crucial for metastasis. Understanding this relationship is key for therapy. We analyze cancer and anoikis trends using bibliometrics. A search was conducted from Web of Science Core, PubMed, Scopus and non-English databases such as the CNKI (inception- 21 December 2024). Data analysis employed Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R software, and the online platform (https://bibliometric.com/). 2510 publications were retrieved, with a significant increase in the last decade. China led, the University of Texas system was productive, and the Oncogene Journal was popular. Breast, and colorectal cancers were frequently studied. Among them, representative tumor-related mechanisms were identified, commonalities such as (EMT, ECM, autophagy) and respective specific mechanisms were summarized. This bibliometric analysis highlights rapid advances in anoikis research in cancer, emphasizing EMT and FAK pathways’ translational potential, guiding targeted therapies, and improving cancer treatment outcomes. Anoikis is a cell death mode that involves detachment from the extracellular matrix and is closely related to cancer. We used VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R studio, and online platforms to conduct a bibliometric analysis of cancer and anoikis.The publications and citations of anoikis-related research have grown steadily, with a significant surge in publication volume observed in 2023 and a notable spike in citation volume occurring in 2019.China and the United States are the leading contributors, with the University of Texas system ranking as the most prolific institution.Chanvorachote P and Zhang Y are top authors, while co-cited references reveal critical insights into tumor progression and therapeutic targets.Emerging trends focus on metabolism, statistics, microenvironment, tumor microenvironment, promot­ing anoikis and discovery, with thematic evolution showing interest in biomarkers and cancer metastasis. Anoikis is a cell death mode that involves detachment from the extracellular matrix and is closely related to cancer. We used VOSviewer, CiteSpace, R studio, and online platforms to conduct a bibliometric analysis of cancer and anoikis. The publications and citations of anoikis-related research have grown steadily, with a significant surge in publication volume observed in 2023 and a notable spike in citation volume occurring in 2019. China and the United States are the leading contributors, with the University of Texas system ranking as the most prolific institution. Chanvorachote P and Zhang Y are top authors, while co-cited references reveal critical insights into tumor progression and therapeutic targets. Emerging trends focus on metabolism, statistics, microenvironment, tumor microenvironment, promot­ing anoikis and discovery, with thematic evolution showing interest in biomarkers and cancer metastasis.