The Global Trends of Pancreatic Cancer Research: A Scientometric Study

Background: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive and deadly disease with a rising incidence due to obesity, an aging population, and better diagnostic capabilities. It poses a growing global health burden. This study used scientometric methods to identify research frontiers and development trends in pancreatic cancer research. Methods: Articles and reviews related to pancreatic cancer were retrieved from the Scopus database in January 2025. Scientometric analysis was conducted using R software and the Bibliometrix package. Over 170.000 articles were initially obtained using predefined specific keywords. Given the large volume of data, data analysis was performed in two phases: first, the top 2000 most-referenced papers in the database were analyzed, and then papers were published within the last five years. Results: This scientometric analysis of pancreatic cancer research examined both highly cited articles and recent publications. Leading institutions included the University of California and Johns Hopkins University (highly cited category) and Fudan University and Harvard Medical School (recent publications). The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and China ranked as the top countries in highly cited works, while China, the United States, Japan, Italy, and Germany led in recent output. Co-word analysis revealed key topics such as "pancreas cancer" and "neoplasms." Thematic mapping identified well-developed "Motor Themes" (e.g., inflammation, metabolism), less impactful "Niche Themes" (e.g., prognosis, clinical articles), declining "Emergency Themes" (e.g., curcumin, breast cancer), and essential but under-addressed "Basic Themes" (e.g., pancreatic cancer, pancreas). Recent trends demonstrated an increase in publications and expanded collaborative research. Conclusion: This study visually represented the current state of knowledge regarding pancreatic cancer by mapping it using scientometric methods.