Objective To summarize the current status and trends of clinical research on gallbladder cancer (GBC) from 2016 to 2026.

Methods Literature of GBC clinical research published from 2016 to 2026 was collected from the Web of Science Core Collection. VOSviewer 1.6.21 software was applied to perform cluster and chronological analyses on countries, academic institutions, authors, and keywords of the included publications, alongside cluster analysis on co-citation references. The visualization maps were generated to analyze collaborative networks among countries, academic institutions, and researchers, and to predict the future research hot spots and directions.

Results  A total of 411 publications in English were included. From 2016 to 2026, the amount of literature on GBC clinical research has shown a fluctuating upward trend, with publications concentrated mainly in professional journals in the field of oncology. China ranks first globally in the publication output, but its average citation is lower than that of United Kingdom and Germany. Institutions of publications exhibit distinct regional clustering characteristics, with close collaboration within regions but a need for strengthened cross-regional collaboration. Keyword analysis reveals that research hot spots are shifting from traditional surgical treatment toward systemic therapy, immunotherapy, and precision medicine, which may represent future development directions.

Conclusions Clinical research on GBC has flourished from 2016 to 2026, with global publication output showing a fluctuating upward trend. China leads in publication amount, but the quality of articles and citation counts still need improvement. To foster continued development and transformation in GBC, it is necessary to strengthen cross-regional international collaboration, promote the integration of precision medicine and systemic therapy, and emphasize patient-centered research strategies.