Trend of Colorectal Cancer Burden in China from 1990 to 2019

Objective To quantitatively analyze the effects of population aging and other risk factors on the burden of colorectal cancer in China from 1990 to 2019. Methods The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 was used to describe the temporal trend of the burden of colorectal cancer. A decomposition method established by Gupta was applied to quantify the burden related to population growth, aging, age-specific prevalence, and disease severity. Results The age-standardized disability adjusted life years (DALY) rates of colorectal cancer in China showed an overall upward trend from 1990 to 2019. The DALY in 2019 increased by 191.12% compared with that in 1990, with 34.54% of the increase attributed to population growth, 111.36% to population aging, and 77.56% to the rise of age-specific prevalence. Meanwhile, -32.54% benefited from the changes in disease severity. Diet low in milk was the primary risk factor for the disease burden of colorectal cancer in China in 2019, followed by diet low in whole grains and calcium. In the last 30 years, the corresponding risk factor of the most rapid increase in China was high BMI with an average annual percentage of change of 4.14%, and the corresponding risk factor of the most rapid decrease in China was diet low in fiber with an average annual percentage of change of -2.00%. Conclusion Aging population is mainly responsible for the considerable increase in the burden of colorectal cancer in China from 1990 to 2019. The health administrative authorities should take corresponding measures to address the adverse impacts associated with aging.