Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as transformative materials in cancer research, integrating chemistry, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. Despite exponential growth, no comprehensive bibliometric synthesis has delineated their conceptual evolution and global research dynamics. This study aims to map the intellectual structure, collaboration patterns, and thematic transitions of MOFs–cancer research from 1981 to 2025. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using Bibliometrix (R), VOSviewer , and CiteSpace . Descriptive and network analyses were applied to assess publication trends, prolific countries, institutions, and authors. Advanced techniques—Bradford’s Law, bibliographic coupling, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution mapping—were used to identify core journals, collaboration networks, and emerging research fronts. CiteSpace’s structural variation and burst detection were employed to detect transformative clusters and transient trends. The dataset comprised 2984 articles across 444 journals, exhibiting an annual growth rate of 15.12%. China and the USA dominated global output and collaboration intensity. Core journals included ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces , Chemical Engineering Journal , and Journal of Materials Chemistry B . Thematic mapping revealed four conceptual zones: drug delivery (motor), photodynamic and chemodynamic therapy (basic), electrochemical immunosensors (niche), and coordination polymers (emerging). CiteSpace analysis (2021–2025) identified 12 major clusters, with strong bursts in Fenton-like reactions , nanotechnology , and apoptosis assay , indicating a transition from material synthesis to precision nanomedicine. MOF–cancer research has evolved from structural design toward intelligent, multifunctional therapeutic systems. The integration of catalytic, photodynamic, and immune-responsive modalities marks a paradigm shift toward translational oncology, positioning MOFs as a cornerstone of next-generation cancer nanomedicine.
Taha et al. (Sat,) studied this question.