A bibliometric analysis of the evolution of nanotechnology research in precision theranostics for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the global research landscape, collaborative patterns, and developmental trends of nanotechnology applications in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using bibliometric analysis and knowledge visualization techniques. METHODS: Publications from 1985 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the R-package bibliometrix (version 4.5.0) to evaluate publication metrics, while knowledge graph visualization was performed using CiteSpace software (version 6.2.6) to identify research clusters, evolutionary pathways, and emerging topics. RESULTS: 0.913) with a significant increase after 2017. China dominated global research (72.59% of publications), while Western countries demonstrated higher citation impact. The most prolific institutions were Sun Yat-sen University (26 papers), Jinan University (21 papers), and Fujian Normal University (19 papers). The International Journal of Nanomedicine was the leading publication venue (15 papers). Three major research clusters emerged: Nanoscale diagnostic platforms employing SERS technology, targeted therapeutic systems incorporating folic acid modification, and bioinspired nanomaterials with exosomes exhibiting promising growth. The research evolved from basic nanomaterials (2002-2013) through multifunctional platforms (2014-2020) to precision medicine applications (2021-2024), with recent emphasis on overcoming treatment resistance. CONCLUSION: Nanotechnology in NPC is rapidly evolving toward integrated theranostic platforms; however, clinical translation requires addressing scale-up manufacturing and long-term safety assessment challenges.