Quality of life in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a bibliometric analysis.

[UNLABELLED] Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, is a leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Its high morbidity, mortality, and complex treatment landscape underscore the importance of understanding patients’ quality of life (QOL). However, existing HCC QOL research lacks comprehensive statistical analysis of published data. This study aimed to identify emerging trends and collaborative networks in HCC QOL research. Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection; after screening and deduplication, bibliometric information (including title, abstract, keywords, authors, affiliations, countries/regions, publication year, journal, and references) was extracted and analyzed using VOSviewer and the Biblioshiny R package. A total of 4951 eligible publications were identified, with annual output increasing over the 33-year period. China had the highest number of publications ( = 1095), the University of California, Los Angeles was the core institution, Cancers was the most prolific journal, and Younossi ZM emerged as a key collaborator. Hot keywords included HCC, QOL, cancer, survival, chemotherapy, and surgery. This analysis reflects the growing significance of HCC QOL research and may guide clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in prioritizing future studies. Given the varying benefits and risks of expanding treatment options, clarifying patients’ treatment priorities is critical to individualizing care through shared decision-making.

[SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION] The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12672-026-04759-x.