Trends, Dynamicity in Collaboration, and Impact on Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Cancer Research: A Scientometric Study

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a highly regulated and potentially toxic chemical compound because several studies have classified PFOA as potentially carcinogenic to humans. To analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics in the collaboration and impact on PFOA and cancer research. A descriptive and retrospective study was designed with a scientometric approach. A comprehensive search of manuscripts published during the period 2018-2023 was performed in the Scopus database and SciVal tool. Manuscripts were identified that contained specific terms related to PFOA and cancer in the title or abstract. Several indicators were used, including number of publications, citations received by these publications, number of authors involved, citations per publication, and Standardized Source Impact per Paper. During the period 2018 to 2023, 147 documents were published in 76 different sources, with an annual growth rate of 24.57%. The papers have an average age of 2.79 years and receive an average of 20.86 citations per paper. They have been referenced a total of 8674 times. In terms of document types, the majority are articles (120), followed by reviews (22). There are also three book chapters, one conference paper, and one editorial. From 2018 to 2023, 147 articles were published on PFOA and cancer, with an annual growth of 24.57%. The top publications came from Environment International and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. The University of Padova stood out for its high number of citations. This study highlights emerging trends in PFOA and cancer research.