Classic articles in cervical cancer research : A bibliometric analysis

Background: Analyzing classic articles or research papers that received total citations of 1000 or more has helped study the evolution of research trends and identify research gaps and future directions in a particular field. This study used a bibliometric approach to analyzing classic articles in cervical cancer research. Method: Classic articles in cervical cancer research with 1,000 or more citations from the Web of Science Core Collection from publication to the end of 2020 were analyzed using bibliometric analysis. These methods determine the document types, most productive countries, institutions, and journals for classic articles in cervical cancer research. Moreover, it also determined their research impact through the years by analyzing their citation histories. Result: We documented 46 classic cervical cancer research papers published in the Web of Science from 1983 until 2019. The CA-A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and the New England Journal of Medicine were the most productive journals that published seven classic cervical cancer articles. The USA was the most productive country, with 28 classic cervical cancer articles. The International Agency for Research on Cancer in France and the American Cancer Society in the USA were the most effective and impactful institutions in cervical cancer research. Citation histories revealed that the most important and cited papers in recent years were cancer statistics that report incidence and mortality from cervical cancer worldwide. The most impactful studies include articles on HPV as a necessary cause of cervical cancer, the discovery and development of HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, and the development of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical treatment for cervical cancer. Conclusion: This study showed cervical cancer research’s most productive countries, institutions, and journals. It also demonstrated the citation history of these classic articles, which showed influential studies still relevant to cervical cancer research until recently.