Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41454992›Full record

ReviewCancer causes & control : CCC2025

Mapping the landscape of rural cancer research: a global bibliometric analysis.

David Nelson, Tanja K Kleinhappel, Natalia Calanzani, Samuel Cooke, Ben Pickwell-Smith, Katie Spencer, Ros Kane, Shahana A Naqvi, Peter Selby, Mark Lawler and 1 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cancer causes & control : CCC, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

David Nelson *Lincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health, College of Health and Science, Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK. dnelson@lincoln.ac.uk.
Tanja K Kleinhappel *Lincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health, College of Health and Science, Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK.
Natalia CalanzaniAcademic Primary Care Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Samuel CookeLincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health, College of Health and Science, Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK.
Ben Pickwell-SmithLeeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Katie SpencerLeeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Ros KaneSchool of Health and Care Sciences, College of Health and Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
Shahana A NaqviAcademic Primary Care Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Peter SelbyFaculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Mark LawlerJohnston Cancer Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Peter MurchieAcademic Primary Care Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRural communities frequently experience inequalities in cancer care compared to urban counterparts. Despite growing academic interest, there has been no global bibliometric analysis of rural cancer publications. Increasingly, global policies focus on place-based health inequalities; it is critical to understand the current state and emerging trends of rural cancer research. This analysis focuses on publication trends, including authors, citations, geography, collaboration (extent and patterns) and target journals.

methodsWeb of Science and Scopus were searched from inception to 25th February 2025. Bibliometric methodology examined citation counts, authorship and publication sources. Results were converted into bibliographic data frames using the bibliometrix R package. All analysis and visual illustrations were in R 4.4.2.

resultsFifteen thousand seven hundred and twenty two documents were analysed (mean age, 10.6 years; average, 25.5 citations per document (2.2 per year)). Annual publication growth was 4.6%, with a marked increase in rural cancer research outputs since 2006. Research output was concentrated in a small number of high-income countries and institutions, but citation analysis showed that some smaller countries produced high-impact work. Rural cancer research activity is shaped by national, regional and geopolitical collaborations. Thematic gaps were identified in early diagnosis. Cancer-specific journals have most outputs, with rural health and public health journals also contributing to the dissemination of rural cancer research.

conclusionRural cancer research is expanding but is geographically uneven. There is a need for increased investment in underrepresented regions and broader subject-specific coverage that is guided by intersectional and place-based approaches.

Indexed as

BibliometricsBiomedical ResearchNeoplasmsRural PopulationHumansBibliometric analysisCancer researchGlobalInequalitiesResearch activityRural health

Identifiers

PMID41454992
PMCPMC12743660

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.