From bench to knowledge graph: mapping the global evolution of PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly lethal gastrointestinal malignancy characterized by strong metastatic potential. Although PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy has been widely applied in the treatment of GC, no comprehensive bibliometric analysis has yet been conducted in this field. This study performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of English-language reviews and original research articles from the Web of Science Core Collection spanning January 1, 2000 to September 17, 2025. Leveraging CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the bibliometrix package, we systematically evaluated and visualized trends in annual publication output, geographic and institutional distribution, authorship, journal performance, keyword evolution, and citation patterns within the field. Over the past two decades, research on PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for GC has surged, with a total of 2,114 publications. China leads in both the number of publications and institutional contributions, with Nanjing Medical University being the top institution. The National Natural Science Foundation of China provides the largest research funding in this field. "Frontiers in Oncology" is the leading journal for this research area, with Lin Shen being the most prolific author. Among 5,190 keyword searches, "gastric cancer" was the most frequently occurring term. Notably, "gastroesophageal junction" emerged as another prominent keyword, with terms such as "gastroesophageal junction" and "PD-1 inhibitor" continuing to feature prominently in the literature. This research delineates the current research landscape and emerging trends of PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for GC, offering valuable insights to researchers to discover cutting-edge directions and key research hotspots in this field.