Thyroid Cancer and Physical Activity: A Bibliometric Analysis.

[BACKGROUND] Numerous studies focusing on physical activity in the context of thyroid cancer have been reported in recent years. However, there is no bibliometric analysis in this research field. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of physical activity in thyroid cancer through bibliometrics.

[METHODS] Publications related to physical activity in thyroid cancer were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and PubMed databases from January 1, 2001 to May 31, 2025. VOSviewers, CiteSpace and R package "bibliometrix" were used to conduct bibliometric analysis.

[RESULTS] This bibliometric analysis spanned from 2001 to 2025 and involved 1020 authors from 182 institutions across 46 countries who contributed to 173 papers in 111 academic journals on physical activity in thyroid cancer. There has been an exponential growth trend in research on thyroid cancer and physical activity since 2009, with the United States leading in terms of publication volume. The United States dominated both in publications and citations. The journal led in both the number of publications and the frequency of citations. Studies predominantly focused on foundational clinical topics, with recent trends shifting towards metabolic health and patient-centered outcomes, reflecting global priorities in cancer survivorship care.

[CONCLUSION] This bibliometric study charts the evolution of thyroid cancer and physical activity research toward metabolic health and patient-centered outcomes. The assembled body of evidence conclusively links physical activity to a lower disease risk and better clinical outcomes, highlighting its significant public health and clinical implications.