Objective To analyze and summarize the research hotspots and trends in inflammation-related research in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods Studies on CRC and inflammation from 2000 to 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, the Bibliometrix R package, and Scimago Graphica were used for bibliometric and visual analysis.

Results The annual publication volume in this field has increased year by year, with significant contributions from countries such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Harvard University, the National Cancer Institute, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University are the top three institutions in terms of publication volume in this field. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is the journal that has published the most research literature in this field. Hébert JR is the author who published the most papers. Several longstanding research teams have been formed, but relatively lacking cooperation between teams. The effect of inflammation on the occurrence, development, treatment, and prognosis of colorectal cancer and its molecular mechanisms are the main focus of research in this field. Conclusion “Fusobacterium nucleatum” “immunotherapy” “drug delivery” “gut microbiota” “tumor microenvironment” “metabolites” and “network pharmacology” are the hotspots and frontiers of research in this field. Further exploration of the correlation between inflammation and CRC and the mechanisms of their mutual influence, optimization of prevention strategies for CRC, and exploration of new therapeutic targets and treatments are future research trends.