PUBLICATION TRENDS IN RADIOTHERAPY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY: A SCIENTOMETRIC STUDY

Abstract

A common cancer treatment, radiotherapy, has deleterious effects on reproductive health, especially by decreasing the capacity for conception. The objective of this study was to analyze the research trend associated with radiotherapy and female infertility until June 2023. SCOPUS database was utilized to obtain pertinent scientometric information (annual publications, affiliations, journals, countries, document types, and research areas) for various radiotherapy subgenres and female infertility. A total of 910 articles were published related to radiotherapy and female infertility, with the United States of America (USA) leading the way in research output in this field. Over the years, radiotherapy and female infertility research have shown positive progress. In-depth analysis revealed that publications (n) related to radiotherapy and female infertility research mainly focused on its impact on ovarian tissue (n = 574) and fertility preservation techniques (n = 390). These scientometric results highlight a limited research focus on the field of radiotherapy and its impact on female reproductive hormones and female accessory reproductive organs. Furthermore, a significant lack of research has been noted in omics and female reproductive organs linked to radiotherapy. Extensive scientific research is necessary to further unravel the impact of radiotherapy on female infertility at the molecular level.