Global research trends on nanotechnology and colorectal cancer: a two-decade analysis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a serious threat to humans worldwide. In this study, we used bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature to assess the trends and prospects of nanotechnology applications in CRC. We used the Web of Science Core Collection database to screen relevant publications on nanotechnology and CRC from 2004 to 2023 based on the inclusion criteria. Bibliometric analyses were performed on all selected publication and citation data. Visual analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace intuitively reflected the hotspots in this field. In total, 2040 publications on nanotechnology in CRC were identified for this two-decade analysis. China (443, 29.14%) and the USA (199, 13.09%) were the top two most productive countries, and Sichuan University was the most prolific institution. The most influential journal was the International Journal of Nanomedicine. The author with the most papers was Li L. “Nanoparticles,” “drug delivery,” and “CRC” were the most common keywords. Green synthesis and gold nanoparticles were peripheral, incompletely developed topics. This study provides a comprehensive overview of nanomaterials in CRC as clinical medicine, enriching the body of evidence in this field.