ObjectiveTo explore the present state of research, emerging trends, and key topics in the field of liquid biopsy for lung cancer, offering insights for the holistic management of the disease. MethodsData was sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection database, focusing on literature related to liquid biopsy in lung cancer published between 2012 and 2025. Tools such as CiteSpace and Biblioshiny were employed to perform a detailed visual analysis of various aspects, including publication outputs, contributing countries and institutions, international collaborations, leading authors, prominent journals, academic disciplines, keyword distributions, and cited references. ResultsA total of 1 128 articles were analyzed. Findings indicated that research in the area of liquid biopsy for lung cancer experienced rapid growth since 2014, peaking in 2022. The majority of research efforts were centered in China and the United States. The French institution Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) leaded in publication output. Malapelle U was the most prolific author. The journal Cancers published the highest number of related articles. Keywords analysis highlighted liquid biopsy and lung cancer as central research themes. Key research topics consistently included circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, extracellular vesicles, epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, and DNA methylation in the context of liquid biopsy. Meanwhile, immunotherapy and minimal residual disease emerged as frontier areas in this domain. ConclusionThe bibliometric results demonstrate a continuous rise in scholarly output on liquid biopsy in lung cancer. The identified research hotspots and evolving trends offer valuable guidance for future studies, with the ultimate goal of facilitating broader clinical adoption of liquid biopsy technologies and advancing precision medicine in lung cancer treatment.