Table 1.
List of topics organized in 8 categories (and 5 subcategories), showing the regression analysis results, the overall popularity metric and the respective rank of the topics
| Topic label | Trend analysis | Topic popularity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reg. coeff. | R2 (%) | Contrib. (%) | Rank | |
| Category: Targeted Immunotherapy | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Immune checkpoint inhibitors | 0.002007 | 65.99 | 1.26 | 11 |
| HPV vaccination | 0.001203 | 78.23 | 1.08 | 17 |
| CAR T cells* | 0.000926 | 81.98 | 0.76 | 35 |
| PD-1 / PD-L1 | 0.000581 | 57.73 | 0.37 | 86 |
| Tyrosine kinase inhibitors* | 0.000376 | 87.56 | 0.35 | 95 |
| Toll-like receptor and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides | 0.000244 | 77.61 | 0.34 | 97 |
| Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) | 0.000174 | 21.03 | 0.62 | 54 |
| Indoleamine 2.3-dioxygenase (IDO)* | 0.000112 | 90.57 | 0.15 | 138 |
| Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) | 0.000060 | 35.42 | 0.26 | 117 |
| Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) | 0.000052 | 26.03 | 0.16 | 137 |
| Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes | 0.000017 | 27.36 | 0.21 | 128 |
| Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)† | 0.000013 | 03.06 | 0.32 | 103 |
| Bispecific monoclonal antibodies† | 0.000004 | 00.08 | 0.64 | 51 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Dendritic cell-based vaccines | − 0.000628 | 60.15 | 1.01 | 20 |
| Anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibodies* | − 0.000326 | 95.78 | 0.75 | 36 |
| IL-2 immunotherapy* | − 0.000325 | 87.08 | 0.66 | 49 |
| Carbohydrate tumor antigen* | − 0.000202 | 80.36 | 0.34 | 98 |
| Cancer testis antigens (CTA) | − 0.000130 | 37.86 | 0.35 | 94 |
| Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)* | − 0.000128 | 94.38 | 0.21 | 130 |
| HER2/neu | − 0.000072 | 47.76 | 0.20 | 133 |
| Immunotoxins | − 0.000042 | 42.11 | 0.22 | 126 |
| Heat shock protein† | − 0.000021 | 16.54 | 0.20 | 131 |
| Category: Cancer Type | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Lung cancer | 0.000391 | 62.80 | 0.46 | 70 |
| Pancreatic & head and neck cancer | 0.000147 | 67.94 | 0.39 | 83 |
| Cervical cancer (HPV) | 0.000145 | 32.49 | 0.57 | 60 |
| Glioblastoma* | 0.000106 | 81.61 | 0.37 | 87 |
| Breast cancer | 0.000094 | 53.78 | 0.36 | 89 |
| Colorectal cancer | 0.000084 | 31.42 | 0.43 | 73 |
| Prostate cancer† | 0.000080 | 12.58 | 0.35 | 91 |
| Ovarian cancer* | 0.000063 | 82.44 | 0.25 | 121 |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 0.000059 | 64.52 | 0.26 | 119 |
| Pediatric cancers | 0.000050 | 70.32 | 0.26 | 116 |
| Multiple myeloma | 0.000019 | 42.33 | 0.25 | 120 |
| Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)† | 0.000009 | 02.74 | 0.26 | 115 |
| Central nervous system cancer† | 0.000006 | 01.62 | 0.26 | 118 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Myeloid leukemia* | − 0.000252 | 91.90 | 0.81 | 31 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma† | − 0.000149 | 15.61 | 0.53 | 66 |
| Lymphoma* | − 0.000141 | 92.30 | 0.55 | 65 |
| Renal cancer | − 0.000115 | 47.29 | 0.46 | 71 |
| Melanoma | − 0.000058 | 28.25 | 0.61 | 55 |
| Skin lesions of the face | − 0.000030 | 22.08 | 0.38 | 84 |
| Endocrine tumors† | − 0.000022 | 19.34 | 0.21 | 129 |
| Malignant mesothelioma | − 0.000007 | 26.95 | 0.16 | 136 |
| Category: Diagnosis | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Imaging* | 0.000188 | 89.09 | 0.28 | 111 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Immunohistochemistry* | − 0.000314 | 91.44 | 0.94 | 23 |
| Leukemia-associated phenotypic markers* | − 0.000234 | 88.79 | 0.71 | 43 |
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)* | − 0.000083 | 94.53 | 0.13 | 141 |
| Category: Cancer Therapies | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Allogeneic stem cell transplantation | 0.000680 | 61.32 | 0.92 | 24 |
| Radiotherapy | 0.000108 | 46.44 | 0.35 | 92 |
| Photoimmunotherapy* | 0.000105 | 91.27 | 0.19 | 135 |
| Biological response modifiers (BRM) | 0.000044 | 23.49 | 0.34 | 96 |
| Anti-TNF therapies† | 0.000042 | 17.38 | 0.32 | 102 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Radioimmunotherapy* | − 0.000682 | 93.95 | 0.72 | 40 |
| Gene therapy* | − 0.000543 | 98.60 | 0.57 | 61 |
| Bone marrow transplantation* | − 0.000437 | 81.62 | 0.44 | 72 |
| Radioimmunotherapy* | − 0.000399 | 94.02 | 0.33 | 101 |
| Adjuvant treatments | − 0.000301 | 77.00 | 1.14 | 15 |
| Vaccine adjuvants | − 0.000148 | 27.12 | 0.91 | 25 |
| Chemotherapy | − 0.000135 | 79.58 | 0.64 | 52 |
| Interferon-based treatments* | − 0.000128 | 91.49 | 0.24 | 122 |
| Bladder cancer intravesical therapy | − 0.000096 | 55.92 | 0.56 | 64 |
| Clinical nutrition in surgery | − 0.000054 | 52.19 | 0.31 | 107 |
| Vaccination† | − 0.000019 | 06.64 | 0.35 | 90 |
| Category: Clinical Research | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Immune-related adverse events | 0.000670 | 60.00 | 0.48 | 68 |
| Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis | 0.000433 | 76.72 | 0.63 | 53 |
| Survival prognostic factors* | 0.000412 | 95.72 | 0.94 | 22 |
| Progression-free survival (PFS)* | 0.000256 | 93.65 | 0.71 | 44 |
| Randomized control trials* | 0.000165 | 90.96 | 0.66 | 48 |
| Hypersensitivity reactions† | 0.000009 | 01.42 | 0.22 | 125 |
| Quality of life† | 0.000009 | 05.21 | 0.35 | 93 |
| Cancer risk factors† | 0.000003 | 00.10 | 0.61 | 56 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Early phase clinical studies* | − 0.000501 | 97.15 | 1.16 | 14 |
| Cancer treatment reports* | − 0.000473 | 91.49 | 1.62 | 8 |
| CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells* | − 0.000450 | 87.27 | 0.52 | 67 |
| Serum biomarkers* | − 0.000275 | 83.10 | 0.79 | 32 |
| Lymphocyte stimulation* | − 0.000237 | 95.47 | 0.90 | 26 |
| Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)* | − 0.000232 | 86.80 | 0.70 | 45 |
| Serum immunoglobulins* | − 0.000211 | 99.37 | 0.56 | 63 |
| Case reports* | − 0.000178 | 81.88 | 1.14 | 16 |
| Infections and immunodeficiency | − 0.000077 | 69.14 | 0.33 | 100 |
| Clinical studies outcomes† | − 0.000031 | 09.20 | 1.20 | 12 |
| Category: Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Tumor microenvironment* | 0.001795 | 94.88 | 2.17 | 4 |
| Cell signaling pathways* | 0.000531 | 97.70 | 0.78 | 33 |
| Role of regulatory immune cells | 0.000520 | 67.07 | 1.88 | 6 |
| Cancer stem cells* | 0.000255 | 87.71 | 0.29 | 109 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Inflammatory mediators* | − 0.000489 | 87.02 | 0.84 | 29 |
| Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus* | − 0.000141 | 88.63 | 0.33 | 99 |
| Adaptive immune response† | − 0.000137 | 12.90 | 1.74 | 7 |
| Tumor metastasis* | − 0.000125 | 80.53 | 0.42 | 77 |
| UV DNA damage (skin cancer) | − 0.000089 | 67.46 | 0.23 | 124 |
| Lymphatic metastasis* | − 0.000053 | 80.47 | 0.27 | 112 |
| Cell adhesion | − 0.000053 | 36.70 | 0.42 | 76 |
| Viral hepatitis | − 0.000033 | 29.08 | 0.31 | 105 |
| Category: Translational Research | ||||
| Subcategory: Pathways and Physiology | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Epigenetic regulation* | 0.000130 | 95.89 | 0.15 | 139 |
| Oncolytic viruses | 0.000084 | 76.42 | 0.27 | 113 |
| Microbiome | 0.000056 | 76.61 | 0.23 | 123 |
| Exosomes | 0.000048 | 65.82 | 0.14 | 140 |
| Cell metabolism | 0.000042 | 27.30 | 0.42 | 79 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Apoptosis* | − 0.000239 | 93.85 | 0.42 | 75 |
| Tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN)* | − 0.000192 | 90.82 | 0.27 | 114 |
| Animal oncogenic viruses* | − 0.000131 | 82.34 | 0.41 | 80 |
| Subcategory: Methodology | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Gene mutations / tumor profiling | 0.000771 | 61.31 | 0.70 | 46 |
| Nanoparticles (drug delivery)* | 0.000470 | 88.94 | 0.57 | 62 |
| Predictive models* | 0.000160 | 83.11 | 0.36 | 88 |
| Test assays | 0.000042 | 19.89 | 0.75 | 37 |
| In vivo intratumoral immunotherapy† | 0.000037 | 01.13 | 2.15 | 5 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Recombinant DNA vaccines | − 0.000501 | 73.01 | 0.72 | 39 |
| Cell lines / in vitro cultures* | − 0.000417 | 92.98 | 1.29 | 10 |
| Gene expression studies | − 0.000222 | 66.06 | 0.74 | 38 |
| Protein purification (chromatography)* | − 0.000221 | 88.45 | 0.83 | 30 |
| Protein/gene sequencing* | − 0.000204 | 91.74 | 0.40 | 82 |
| Flow cytometry (CD markers) | − 0.000117 | 63.64 | 0.77 | 34 |
| Bacteria-based immunotherapies | − 0.000038 | 41.03 | 0.20 | 132 |
| BCG-based immunotherapies | − 0.000035 | 49.22 | 0.31 | 106 |
| Gene polymporphisms† | − 0.000017 | 08.55 | 0.21 | 127 |
| Subcategory: Protein-based | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily | 0.000090 | 75.75 | 0.43 | 74 |
| Chemokine receptors and ligands | 0.000056 | 37.71 | 0.19 | 134 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes* | − 0.001005 | 97.16 | 0.98 | 21 |
| Tumor antigens* | − 0.000420 | 83.00 | 0.88 | 28 |
| Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies | − 0.000174 | 76.30 | 0.72 | 42 |
| T cell receptor (TCR)† | − 0.000002 | 00.16 | 0.32 | 104 |
| Subcategory: Cell Type | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Natural killer cells* | 0.000398 | 90.08 | 0.66 | 50 |
| T regulatory cells | 0.000394 | 47.25 | 0.47 | 69 |
| Myeloid-derived suppressor cells* | 0.000365 | 83.64 | 0.31 | 108 |
| T cell memory (CD4+, CD8+)† | 0.000052 | 01.26 | 1.20 | 13 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Cytotoxic T lymphocytes* | − 0.000655 | 98.64 | 1.03 | 19 |
| TH1/TH2 response* | − 0.000351 | 90.10 | 0.72 | 41 |
| Dendritic cells | − 0.000326 | 57.70 | 0.58 | 58 |
| Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) | − 0.000037 | 25.48 | 0.42 | 78 |
| Subcategory: Animal Models | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| n/a | ||||
| Negative trends | ||||
| Murine tumor models* | − 0.000928 | 88.31 | 0.68 | 47 |
| Mouse studies and experiments* | − 0.000455 | 94.31 | 1.08 | 18 |
| Syngeneic mouse models* | − 0.000292 | 80.53 | 1.30 | 9 |
| Rat studies and experiments* | − 0.000159 | 86.47 | 0.38 | 85 |
| Immunodeficient mouse models | − 0.000071 | 38.50 | 0.58 | 59 |
| Category: General | ||||
| Positive trends | ||||
| Targeted therapies (review)* | 0.001418 | 88.93 | 3.46 | 1 |
| Development of new cancer therapies (reviews)* | 0.001266 | 91.81 | 2.64 | 3 |
| Cancer immunotherapy (reviews)* | 0.000851 | 88.63 | 3.24 | 2 |
| Clinical guidelines* | 0.000333 | 87.83 | 0.60 | 57 |
| Systematic review and meta-analysis* | 0.000262 | 92.18 | 0.29 | 110 |
| Significant statistical results* | 0.000260 | 88.79 | 0.89 | 27 |
| Negative trends | ||||
| Anti-tumor immunity* | − 0.000153 | 87.05 | 0.40 | 81 |
Within each category, topics are organized in two groups corresponding to positive and negative trends, respectively; within each group, topics are listed with descending order of regression coefficient
* Topics with a good linear regression fit, R-squared > 80%
† Topics with nonsignificant reg. coefficient, p value > 0.05