Changing Colorectal Cancer Trends in Asians: Epidemiology and Risk Factors

Abstract

Once an infrequent disease in parts of Asia, the rate of colorectal cancer in recent decades appears to be steadily increasing. Colorectal cancer represents one of the most important causes of cancer mortality worldwide, including in many regions in Asia. Rapid changes in socioeconomic and lifestyle habits have been attributed to the notable increase in the incidence of colorectal cancers in many Asian countries. Through published data from the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), we utilized available continuous data to determine which Asian nations had a rise in colorectal cancer rates. We found that East and South East Asian countries had a significant rise in colorectal cancer rates. Subsequently, we summarized here the known genetics and environmental risk factors for colorectal cancer among populations in this region as well as approaches to screening and early detection that have been considered across various countries in the region.

Identification of phenomic data in the pathogenesis of cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract: A UK biobank data analysis

“…Similarly, results showed that gender played a role in the difference in GI cancer incidence, particularly gastric and liver cancers, males having 2.8, 2.4 and 1.7 times more likely to get the cancers respectively. This nding is in line with current literature (Cruz et al 2019;Pardamean et al 2023;Scherübl 2022).…”

“…The in uence of ethnicity is also evident in subsets colorectal, pancreatic and oesophageal cancers in this study. Epidemiological studies have examined the association between ethnicity, speci cally White and Asian populations, and gastrointestinal malignancies, including colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, and liver cancer (Arnold et al 2020;Ashktorab et al 2017;Liu et al 2020;Pardamean et al 2023;Wang et al 2022). Similarly, results showed that gender played a role in the difference in GI cancer incidence, particularly gastric and liver cancers, males having 2.8, 2.4 and 1.7 times more likely to get the cancers respectively.…”

Comparison of Risk Allele Frequencies for Colorectal Cancer-Associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Among Different Ethnic Groups Running title: CRC Risk Allele Frequency Across Populations

“…Between 1993 and 2010, age-standardized CRC incidence rates consistently rose in various Asian countries, with South Korea experiencing the most signi cant increase. 3 According to agestandardized incidence rates, CRC ranks among the top three cancer types in many Asian countries. 21 The differing incidence rates of CRC among various racial groups can be attributed to environmental factors.…”

“…These changes encompass factors such as obesity, tobacco usage, and the consumption of spicy food, alcohol, and meat. 3 The dietary pattern in South America, characterized by high consumption of beef and fats and low intake of bers, could be associated with an elevated risk of CRC. 23 However, the rise in CRC incidence in South America has not matched the signi cant increase observed in East Asia.…”

“…10 Several case studies involving Asian populations, particularly in South Korea, indicated a notably lower incidence of mutations in CRC-associated genes such as APC, K-ras, and p53, which are commonly encountered in Caucasian populations. 3 In recent times, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted among individuals of both European (EUR) and Asian descent have successfully identi ed speci c chromosomal loci that are associated with susceptibility to CRC. To date, a total of 52 distinct genetic regions have been associated with the risk of CRC.…”