Artificial intelligence in cancer healthcare research: A global trends (2017 – 2026)

Abstract

Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have markedly transformed cancer healthcare research, supporting improved diagnostic accuracy, individualized treatment planning, and more effective clinical decision-making. However, despite the expanding literature, a systematic overview of worldwide research trends, influential works, and the thematic evolution in AI-enabled cancer healthcare remains lacking. This bibliometric analysis seeks to examine the intellectual structure, research productivity, and collaborative patterns in AI in cancer healthcare research from 2017 to January 2026. Using an advanced search strategy, data were retrieved solely from the Scopus database, producing a final dataset of 975 publications. Scopus Analyzer was used to assess publication trends and national research output; OpenRefine was used for data cleaning and standardization; and VOSviewer facilitated the visualization of citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, and international coauthorship patterns. Accordingly, the results demonstrate a consistent upward trend in publication output throughout the study period, with a marked acceleration after 2020, reflecting increasing global research attention toward AI applications in oncology. Moreover, citation analysis identified the top 10 most influential articles, highlighting a strong focus on Deep Learning (DL), Machine Learning (ML), as well as medical imaging techniques for cancer detection and prognosis. Meanwhile, country-level analysis suggests that research output is predominantly led by technologically advanced nations, indicating disparities in global research participation. In addition, keyword co-occurrence analysis uncovered dominant themes such as cancer diagnosis, predictive modeling, and radiomics, alongside emerging topics including explainable AI and clinical decision support systems. Furthermore, coauthorship network analysis reveals an expansion of international collaboration, although concentrated among a limited group of leading countries. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of global research trends in AI-driven cancer healthcare, providing valuable references for researchers, policymakers, as well as healthcare stakeholders in shaping future research directions and fostering international collaboration.