Abstract: Objective To analyze the research status and trends of early esophageal cancer treatment, and to provide guidance for promoting cutting-edge research on early esophageal cancer treatment. Methods Bibliometric analysis was used to screen the relevant literatures included in the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastucture (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), Web of Science core database and PubMed database from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2023. CiteSpace 6.3. R1 software was used to visually analyze the annual publication volume, authors and keywords of the included literatures. Results A total of 1,752 Chinese literatures and 997 English literatures were included. From 2013 to 2021, the number of Chinese literature publications on early esophageal cancer treatment constantly exceeded 100 articles each year, surpassing the number of English literature. In contrast, the number of articles published by the top five authors in English (all ≥35 articles)was higher than that of the top five authors in Chinese (all ≥5 articles), with a higher degree of collaboration among authors. The analysis of research hotspots and collaboration status indicated that institutions such as Peking Union Medical College and the Chinese People's General Hospital had made significant contributions to the research in this field . However, the connection among research teams in China were relatively weak, while foreign authors demonstrated closer collaboration. Keyword analysis revealed that frequently used words such as "Endoscopic", "Efficacy" and "Precancerous lesion" were prevalent in Chinese literature. In English literature, keywords like "Therapy", "Mucosal resection" and "Endoscopic mucosal resection" were more frequently mentioned. Furthermore, mutation analysis indicated a growing focus on the quality control and safety in treatment both domestically and internationally. Conclusions The treatment of early esophageal cancer is a prominent area of research both domestically and interna tionally, and researchers should strengthen cooperation. Future research of the treatment of early esophageal cancer may be focused on treatment methods, complications associated with treatment, recurrence rates, and risk factors.

Key words: Esophageal cancer, Early stage, Treatment, Research hotspots, CiteSpace