Bibliometric analysis of the trends in research on the link between gut microbiota and pancreatic cancer

Background Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive malignancy of the digestive system, characterized by notably low survival rates. Recently, the influence of gut microbiota (GM) on the development and progression of PC has gained more attention. While the only existing bibliometric study has explored the association of GM in PC, it has failed to adequately reflect the latest trends and hotspots in this field due to research timeframes and methodologies. Methods Publications from January 1, 2000 to November 18, 2023 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and screened based on specific criteria. Various software tools, including VOSviewer, Scimago Graphica, R, Pajek64 and Cite Space, were employed in this bibliometric study to visualize research trends and hot spots concerning the relationship between GM and PC. Results This study analyzed 763 publications, including 397 articles and 366 reviews, on the relationship between GM and PC. The number of Publications has steadily increased since 2013, with China and the USA leading in contribution. The journal Cancers published the most papers (37), while Gut had the highest average citations (136.83). The most productive institution was SUTMD Anderson Cancer Center, and the top 3 authors were Michaud, Dominique S. McAllister, Florencia, and Miller, George. Keyword analysis revealed that “Gut Microbiota”, “Pancreatic Cancer”, “Cancer”, “Sequence”, “Microbiome” and “Tumor Microbiome” are the most frequent terms, highlighting key research trends. Conclusions Over the past two decades, interest in the relationship between GM and PC has significantly increased. The comprehensive bibliometric analysis offers an in-depth evaluation of the prevailing research trends and advancements regarding the relationship between GM and PC. It indicates that current research hotspots mainly focus on “sequencing”, “microbiomes” and “tumor microbiomes”.