# A bibliometric analysis of the research landscape of vulvar cancer

## TL;DR

This paper uses bibliometric analysis to map the research landscape of vulvar cancer, highlighting trends, key journals, and influential studies.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive bibliometric overview of vulvar cancer research, identifying trends and key works to guide future efforts.

## Key findings

- 3702 publications on vulvar cancer were identified, with a steady increase in recent decades.
- Gynecologic Oncology and the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer are the leading journals in the field.
- Key research themes include lymph node assessment and HPV genotype distribution.

## Abstract

We present a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to characterize the contemporary research landscape of vulvar cancer (VC).

To identify publications relevant to VC research, a systematic search of the Web of Science (WoS) database was conducted. Key bibliographic information was extracted, and quantitative analyses and network mapping (VOSviewer) were performed.

A total of 3702 publications were identified, with the earliest record dating back to 1946 and a steadily increasing publication volume over recent decades. Most of the literature has been published in English. The leading journals publishing VC research were Gynecologic Oncology (Elsevier) and the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (Elsevier). A subsequent keyword analysis revealed distinct conceptual domains within the field, and an examination of the ten most frequently cited articles highlighted recurrent clinically relevant themes, including lymph node assessment/management and HPV genotype distribution.

In this analysis, we outline key research trends, influential regions, leading journals, and the most cited works in VC research. Such bibliometric summaries may serve as a useful guide for future research efforts and support funding decisions.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12672-026-04573-5.