# Sensor technologies in cancer research for new directions in diagnosis and treatment: and exploratory analysis

**Authors:** Mario Coccia, Saeed Roshani, Melika Mosleh  
**arXiv:** [2203.00502](https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.00502)  
**Date:** 2022-02-04  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2203.00502v1/

## Key points

- The study explores sensor technologies used in cancer research and identifies new directions for diagnosis and treatment.
- Four types of cancer with high incidence and mortality rates are studied: breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate.
- Data from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database from 1991-2021 was used to retrieve articles related to sensor technologies and cancer research.
- Word co-occurrence networks were constructed using SCI2 tool V. 1.3 for each type of cancer studied.
- Biosensors play an essential role in all types of cancer studied.
- Electrochemical sensors are applied in all types except lung cancer while electrochemical biosensors are used in breast, lung, and prostate cancers but not colorectal cancer.
- Optical sensors are significantly used in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers while oxygen sensors are mostly studied in lung and breast cancers due to their usage in breath analysis for treatment processes.
- Cmos sensors are mainly used in lung cancers and colorectal cancers.
- Gephi software version 0.9.2 was utilized to visualize the co-word networks of interaction between sensor technologies and cancers under study with node size based on Betweenness centrality indicating connecting roles within the network groups identified by thresholds set at centrality greater than 0.1.
- The authors suggest that these results provide new directions for science & technology evolution of sensors in diagnosing & treating different types of cancers supporting innovation & research policy directed towards new technological trajectories with potential accelerated growth & positive social impact.
- They emphasize the need for detailed examination of other aspects and factors to support appropriate strategies of research and innovation policy as well as technology management & transfer initiatives aimed at improving diagnosis while reducing worldwide mortality rates associated with various types of cancers such as breastcancer ,lungcancer ,prostatecancer ,and colorectalcancers .

## Summary

This study aims to explore the main sensor technologies applied in cancer research and detect new directions in diagnosis and treatments. The focus is on four types of cancer with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide: breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate. To retrieve articles related to sensor technologies and cancer research from 1991-2021, data from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database were used. The authors standardized keywords by cleaning them according to their meaning and structures, combining similar terms into one category, changing abbreviations and plural forms into basic forms. They constructed word co-occurrence networks using SCI2 tool V. 1.3 for each type of cancer studied. After analyzing nodes and links in the networks, they removed isolated nodes and used a minimum spanning tree (MST) path-finder algorithm to reduce links emphasizing the most important nodes. The results show that biosensors play an essential role in all types of cancer studied: breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer. Electrochemical sensors are applied in all types except lung cancer while electrochemical biosensors are used in breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer research but not colorectal cancer. Optical sensors are significantly used in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancers while oxygen sensors are mostly studied in lung cancers and breast cancers due to their usage in breath analysis for treatment processes. Cmos sensors are mainly used in lung cancers and colorectal cancers. Gephi software version 0.9.2 was utilized to visualize the co-word networks of interaction between sensor technologies and cancers under study with node size based on Betweenness centrality indicating connecting roles within the network groups identified by thresholds set at centrality greater than 0.1. The authors suggest that these results provide new directions for science & technology evolution of sensors in diagnosing & treating different types of cancers supporting innovation & research policy directed towards new technological trajectories with potential accelerated growth & positive social impact. They emphasize the need for detailed examination of other aspects and factors to support appropriate strategies of research and innovation policy as well as technology management & transfer initiatives aimed at improving diagnosis while reducing worldwide mortality rates associated with various types of cancers such as breastcancer ,lungcancer ,prostatecancer ,and colorectalcancers .