Global trends, knowledge structure, and thematic evolution of statin-cancer research: A comprehensive mapping and...

Statins have attracted increasing attention beyond cardiovascular prevention due to their potential anticancer effects; however, the intellectual structure and long-term evolution of statin-cancer research remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to systematically map the global development, thematic architecture, and collaborative landscape of statin-cancer research using bibliometric approaches. A total of 6100 article-type publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1940 to 2025 were analyzed using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Analyses included descriptive metrics, logistic growth modeling, geographic and institutional mapping, international collaboration networks, Bradford's Law of journal scattering, co-citation analysis, keyword dynamics, thematic evolution, and N-gram trend analysis. The field demonstrated sustained growth (annual growth rate 7.36%) and has recently entered a consolidation phase, supported by strong international collaboration and a stable core of high-impact journals, institutions, and scholars. Thematic analyses revealed a clear shift from cardiovascular and mechanistic foundations toward oncology-driven, drug-specific, and translational research, with breast cancer emerging as a dominant focus and simvastatin forming a highly developed niche theme. Emerging trends highlighted increasing emphasis on physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, drug-drug interactions, and clinical safety considerations. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive, data-driven overview of statin-cancer research, offering strategic insights to guide future experimental, clinical, and translational investigations.