Global research trends and hotspots on environmental pollution and primary liver cancer: a bibliometric and visualized analysis

TL;DR

This study analyzes global research trends on how environmental pollution relates to primary liver cancer, highlighting key areas and collaborations from 2000 to 2025.

Contribution

The paper provides the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of environmental pollution and primary liver cancer research trends.

Findings

China and the United States are the leading contributors to research in this field.

Environmental Health Perspectives, Hepatology, and Cancer Research are the most cited journals.

Research focuses on pollutants like air pollution, heavy metals, and emerging contaminants such as volatile organic compounds.

Abstract

Primary liver cancer (PLC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, posing a serious global public health burden. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common subtype, accounting for approximately 75%–85% of all PLC cases. In recent years, environmental pollution has emerged as a potential risk factor for PLC. However, a systematic bibliometric analysis of global research trends in this field remains lacking. This study aims to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to explore global trends in the field of environmental pollution and PLC research from 2000 to 2025.

We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science Core Collection database, covering studies published from January 2000 to March 2025. CiteSpace was used to analyze publication trends, global collaborations, and key research areas through network visualizations and co-occurrence analyses.

A total of 562 publications were included in this study, with China and the United States identified as the leading contributors. Prominent institutions in this field include the National Institutes of Health (USA), National Cancer Institute (USA), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Among journals, Environmental Health Perspectives, Hepatology, and Cancer Research were the most frequently cited, indicating a close connection between environmental science and oncology. Keyword analysis revealed that research focuses not only on traditional pollutants such as air pollution and heavy metals, but also on emerging exposures including volatile organic compounds and drinking water contaminants. Mechanistic studies remain at the core of this field, with frequently occurring terms such as “oxidative stress”, “gene expression”, and “inflammation”. Meanwhile, clinical research-related keywords like “epidemiology” and “follow-up” have become increasingly prominent in recent years, indicating a growing emphasis on population-based risk assessment.

This study highlights the growing research interest in the link between environmental pollution and PLC. Cross-disciplinary collaborations between environmental science, medicine, and public health are increasingly influencing the development of this field. Future research should focus on elucidating the carcinogenic mechanisms of pollutants and enhancing translational applications in public health.

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