Malignant tumours remain one of the most intractable health problems worldwide. Recently, plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) have emerged as a promising tool in the treatment of malignant tumours, leveraging their high biosafety and potential mechanisms such as cancer-selective apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest. This paper presents a systematic review of the research progress of nanovesicles in malignant tumours, with a focus on plant-derived vesicles (PDVs) and their potential applications in cancer treatment, based on bibliometric analysis. In this review, the research on PDNVs in malignant tumours was identified and analysed through various countries/institutions, authors, references and research hotspots. Furthermore, we summarized the diverse biological functions and applications of PDNVs sourced from various origins in malignant tumours, both when acting independently and as carriers. Lastly, we provide an outlook on the potential applications of PDNVs in malignant tumours. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research progress of the role of PDNVs in malignant tumours, and to provide new ideas and clues for overcoming the difficulties of tumour treatment.