Abstract Purpose Pesticide use has raised increasing global concern due to its potential environmental and health impacts, including suspected links to cancer. This study examines the scientific literature on pesticide exposure and cancer, with a focus on the ten highest pesticide-consuming countries, as identified based on total pesticide consumption (tonnes) reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2022. Design/methodology/approach A total of 2,842 records published between 1993 and 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using a targeted search strategy combining pesticide- and cancer-related keywords. Bibliometric techniques and social network analysis were applied, utilizing VOSviewer, Bibexcel, and Pajek to evaluate publication trends, collaboration networks, and structural characteristics of international co-authorship. Collaboration strength was assessed using indicators such as the affinity index and Salton index. Findings An exploratory comparison of pesticide consumption and new cancer cases across the selected countries suggests no strong association, although this observation is based on a small sample ( N = 10) and should not be interpreted as evidence of absence of effect. New cancer cases are related to multiple interacting factors, emphasizing the complexity of attribution. Research limitations The search query intentionally focused on general cancer descriptors (“Cancer,” “Neoplasm”), omitting subtype-specific terms, to map the broad pesticide–cancer research landscape across highly pesticide-using countries. Publications not covered by the Web of Science Core Collection are not included. Practical implications This study contributes to understanding the global research landscape on pesticide-cancer linkages, highlights the key collaborative actors, and underscores the need for internationally coordinated research to support evidence-informed policy and public health strategies. Originality/value We assessed the research productivity of the top ten pesticide-using countries in pesticide–cancer research from 1993 to 2022. Quantification of the association between national GDP and annual publication output was provided. We analyzed the international collaboration patterns using bibliometric and social network analysis. Core journals publishing research from the top ten pesticide-using countries in pesticide–cancer research were identified. Major contributing research institutions and their structural role in collaboration networks were identified.
Murugappan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.