OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the trends in incidence, mortality, and burden of colon and rectum cancer (CRC) in Asia from 2010 through 2019 comparing them with the other global continental data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected CRC data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 2010 to 2019 in 49 countries and territories in Asia. For all locations, annual case data and age-standardized rates (ASRs) were used to investigate the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of CRC from 2010 to 2019. The relative difference (%) between years was used to show comparative variations of age-standardized rates for the indicators studied.

RESULTS: In 2019, more than 50% of CRC cases and deaths, prevalence, and DALYs occurred in Asian countries. From 2010 to 2019, incidences, deaths, prevalence cases, and Daly’s number increased of CRC increased over 1.46, 1.37, 1.52, and 1.31-fold, in Asia. During this period, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and the age-standardized DALYs rate (DALYs ASR) of CRC increased by 9%, 15%, and 1%, re- spectively. The age-standardized death rate (ASDR) had a constant trend. At the same time, these rates increased slowly or had a decreasing trend globally and in America and Europe. In 2019, age-specific incidence, death, preva- lence, and DALY cases of CRC cancer were peaking at 65–69, 70-74, 65–69, and 65–69 years, respectively. In 2019, the highest ASIR, ASDR, and ASPR of CRC were observed in High-income Asia Pacific countries and the highest DALYs ASR in Southeast Asia countries. While South Asia countries experienced the highest increasing trend in ASIR and ASDR, ASPR, and DALYs ASR, the High-income Asia Pacific countries experienced the highest decreasing trend from 2010 to 2019. In 2019, among high SDI Asian countries, Taiwan had the highest ASIR and ASPR, and Brunei Darussalam had the highest ASDR and DALY ASR. Among high-middle SDIs, Lebanon has the highest ASIR and ASPR, and Malaysia has the highest ASDR and DALYs ASR; among middle SDIs, China has the highest ASIR and ASPR, and Vietnam has the highest ASDR and DALYs ASR; among low-middle SDIs, Palestine has the highest ASIR, ASDR, ASPR, and DALY ASR of CRC can- cer. Among low SDI Asian countries, Pakistan has the highest ASIR and ASPR, and, Afghanistan has the highest ASDR and DALY ASR for CRC cancer. For four indicators, in most countries, the ratio of men is higher than women.

CONCLUSIONS: Most of the global burden of CRC occurs in Asian countries, and the increasing trend of incidence, death, prevalence, and burden of this cancer in these countries is faster than in other regions. Therefore, it seems necessary to implement appropriate prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies in Asian countries to reduce the burden of this disease.