SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2026
Bibliometric analysis of exercise and cancer prognosis research: trends, thematic evolution, and global collaborations (2015-2024).
Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Physical activity and structured exercise are increasingly recognized as modifiable factors that influence cancer prognosis, recurrence risk, and quality of life. Despite rapid growth in this literature, the structure, thematic evolution, and international distribution of research linking exercise to cancer prognosis have not been systematically mapped. Methods: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus on 22 August 2025. Search terms combined exercise/physical activity with cancer prognosis, survival, or recurrence. After deduplication, 3,261 unique English-language articles and reviews (2015-2024) were analyzed using the bibliometrix R package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace for publication trends, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and citation b ursts. Results: Annual output nearly doubled, rising from 211 publications in 2015 to 483 in 2024. The United States (n = 850) and China (n = 780) led global production, jointly accounting for approximately 50% of all papers. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified five major thematic clusters: clinical rehabilitation and quality-of-life outcomes, biological mechanisms (including muscle physiology and sarcopenia), epidemiology and risk factors, cancer survivorship (emphasizing fatigue and psychosocial domains), and exercise interventions during active treatment. Citation patterns showed heavy reliance on foundational oncology guidelines and reviews from adjacent fields. Conclusions: Research on exercise and cancer prognosis has expanded rapidly and consolidated thematically, with growing emphasis on personalized prescriptions and rigorous trial evidence. Output remains concentrated in high-income countries, highlighting the need for broader international collaboration and capacity building to support equitable translation into multidisciplinary cancer care.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.