Ugolini, D; Neri, M; Casilli, C; Ceppi, M; Canessa, PA; Ivaldi, GP; Paganuzzi, M; Bonassi, S. 2010. A bibliometric analysis of scientific production in mesothelioma research. LUNG CANCER 70 (2): 129-135

[Eugene Garfield]

Ugolini, D; Neri, M; Casilli, C; Ceppi, M; Canessa, PA; Ivaldi, GP; Paganuzzi, M; 
Bonassi, S. 2010. A bibliometric analysis of scientific production in mesothelioma 
research. LUNG CANCER 70 (2): 129-135.

Author Full Name(s): Ugolini, Donatella; Neri, Monica; Casilli, Cristina; Ceppi, 
Marcello; Canessa, Pier Aldo; Ivaldi, Giovanni Paolo; Paganuzzi, Michela; 
Bonassi, Stefano

Language: English
Document Type: Review

Author Keywords: Mesothelioma; Publications; Bibliometrics; Biomedical 
research; Resource allocation
KeyWords Plus: MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA; EUROPEAN-UNION; 
IMPACT FACTOR; TRENDS; MORTALITY; ASBESTOS

Abstract: This study aims at comparing scientific production in malignant 
mesothelioma (MM) among countries and evaluating publication trends and 
impact factor (IF).
The PubMed database was searched with a strategy combining keywords listed 
in the Medical Subject Headings and free-text search. Publications numbers and 
IF were evaluated both as absolute values and after standardization by 
population and gross domestic product (GDP).
5240 citations were retrieved from the biennium 1951-1952 (n = 22) to 2005-
2006 (n = 535). The 177% increase of MM publications from 1987 to 2006 
exceeded by large the corresponding value of total cancer literature (123.5%). 
In these two decades, 2559 articles with IF were published: 46.4% came from 
the European Union (EU) (the UK, Italy and France ranking at the top), and 
36.2% from the US. The highest mean IF was reported for the US (3.346), 
followed by Australia (3.318), and EU (2.415, with the UK, Belgium and the 
Netherlands first). Finland, Sweden and Australia had the best ratio between IF 
(sum) and resident population or GDP. The number of publications correlated 
with GDP (p = 0.001) and national MM mortality rates (p = 0.002). An 
association was found between a country commitment to MM research and the 
burden of disease (p = 0.04). Asbestos, survival, prognosis, occupational 
exposure, differential diagnosis, and immunohistochemistry were the most 
commonly used keywords.
This report represents the first effort to explore the geographical and temporal 
distribution of MM research and its determinants. This is an essential step in 
understanding science priorities and developing disease control policies. (C) 
2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addresses: [Ugolini, Donatella; Casilli, Cristina] Univ Genoa, Ist Nazl Ric Canc, 
Dipartimento Oncol Biol & Genet, I-16132 Genoa, Italy; [Ugolini, Donatella] Natl 
Inst Canc Res, Unit Epidemiol & Biostat, Genoa, Italy; [Neri, Monica; Ceppi, 
Marcello] Natl Inst Canc Res, Unit Mol Epidemiol, Genoa, Italy; [Canessa, Pier 
Aldo] Osped San Bartolomeo, Unit Pneumol, Sarzana, Italy; [Ivaldi, Giovanni 
Paolo] Azienda Osped Villa Scassi, Unit Pneumol, Genoa, Italy; [Paganuzzi, 
Michela] Natl Inst Canc Res, Unit Clin Pathol, Genoa, Italy; [Bonassi, Stefano] 
IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Unit Clin & Mol Epidemiol, Rome, Italy

Reprint Address: Ugolini, D, Univ Genoa, Ist Nazl Ric Canc, Dipartimento Oncol 
Biol & Genet, Largo R Benzi,10, I-16132 Genoa, Italy.

E-mail Address: donatella.ugolini at unige.it
ISSN: 0169-5002
DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2010.01.013
URL (not open access): http://www.lungcancerjournal.info/article/S0169-
5002(10)00027-9/abstract