Research trends and knowledge structure of pancreatic cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus research: a two-decade CiteSpace analysis

Background Pancreatic cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are closely linked through complex epidemiological and biological interactions. However, the development, knowledge structure, and research trends of this field have not been systematically characterized. This study aimed to investigate the research landscape and knowledge structure of pancreatic cancer and T2DM research from 2006 to 2025. Methods We conducted the primary bibliometric analysis using WOSCC records, and separately analyzed PubMed-indexed clinical trials as a supplementary dataset. A total of 1,989 WOSCC publications were included in the bibliometric analysis, while 54 PubMed-indexed Clinical Trial records were included in the supplementary clinical trial assessment. CiteSpace was used to perform collaboration, co-citation, keyword, timeline, and burst analyses of the WOSCC dataset. Results The number of publications increased steadily over the study period, particularly after 2015. The United States and China were the leading contributors, while the University of California System and Harvard University were among the most productive institutions. Major research themes included cancer risk, insulin resistance, metabolic inflammation, incretin-based therapies, and new-onset diabetes. Keyword evolution and burst analyses indicated increasing attention to mechanistic investigation, biomarker discovery, risk stratification, and precision medicine approaches. Conclusion This study characterizes the development and knowledge structure of research on the relationship between pancreatic cancer and T2DM and highlights major research themes, emerging hotspots, and future directions for mechanistic investigation and clinical translation.