Trends and Hotspots of Microwave Ablation in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2010 to 2025

Rationale and objectives Microwave ablation (MWA) therapy represents one of the frequently employed treatment modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate research trends and hotspots in MWA therapy for HCC through bibliometric analysis.Materials and methods Publications from January 1, 2010, to November 9, 2025, were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Data analysis and visualization were conducted using the bibliometrix R package, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer.Results A total of 431 publications on MWA for HCC were retrieved. The annual number of publications increased steadily from 2010 to 2020, peaked in 2020, and then exhibited a fluctuating downward trend. The International Journal of Hyperthermia ranked first in both publication output and growth rate. China emerged as the most active country. Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital was the leading research institution. Liang Ping and Yu Jie were the most prolific authors. The cocitation network was centered on Ahmed M and Bruix J. Research collaboration from 2016 to 2025 was centered on Shi Qin and Cheng Zhigang, while after 2020 it increasingly involved Wang Gang, Makovich Zachary, and others. High-frequency keywords indicated that comparing therapeutic effects with radiofrequency ablation and combining MWA with transarterial chemoembolization have been focal points in recent years.Conclusion This study maps the evolution and research hotspots of MWA therapy for HCC over the past 15 years. It not only helps researchers understand the current state of the field but also identifies future research directions, which are likely to focus on efficacy comparison, combination therapy, and clinical prognosis.