Research progress and trends on PET/CT imaging of pancreatic cancer: a bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND: Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging has emerged as an important tool with growing potential in the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of pancreatic cancer, though its clinical implementation varies across different healthcare systems. This study aims to analyze the global research landscape and emerging trends in PET/CT for pancreatic cancer through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. METHODS: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection to gather literature. The bibliometric tools VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package “bibliometrix” were employed to visualize collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrences, and emerging research trends. RESULTS: The analysis identified 381 publications on PET/CT in pancreatic cancer. The annual number of publications exhibited an overall increasing trend with a 13.56% annual growth rate. The USA led with 2,159 citations. Fudan University emerged as the most productive institution with 69 articles. The European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging ranked as the top publishing journal with 22 articles. Zuo Changjing was the most prolific author with 12 publications. Cluster analysis identified five research hotspots: treatment response and survival analysis, diagnostic accuracy and imaging characteristics, advanced imaging techniques and novel tracers, tumor biology and molecular imaging, and surgical planning and resectability assessment. Keyword analysis revealed evolving research hotspots, with recent emphasis on fibroblast activation protein (strength = 3.61, 2022–2024), survival (strength = 4.96, 2022–2024), and expression (strength = 5.91, 2019–2024). CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis identified five primary research hotspots, including diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. Current and future research directions emphasize improving diagnostic accuracy, exploring novel molecular targets including fibroblast activation protein, and enhancing treatment response monitoring, suggesting PET/CT’s evolving potential in pancreatic cancer management.