Colorectal cancer mortality in Hong Kong of China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore

To clarify the trend in colorectal cancer mortality in Asian countries. We analyzed the colorectal cancer mortality in four Asian countries using the World Health Organization mortality database and the Korea National Statistics Office database. The annual age-standardized rates and truncated rated for the three age groups (30-49, 50-69 and ≥ 70 years) for Hong Kong of China (1969-2009), Japan (1955-2009), South Korea (1985-2006), and Singapore (1966-2009) were estimated. A joinpoint regression model was used to detect significant trends in mortality rates. Colorectal cancer mortality in men started to decrease in 1992 in Japan followed by Singapore and Hong Kong of China in 1995. The mortality rates in women stared to decrease in 1980 in Singapore, followed by Hong Kong of China and Japan in 1996. In all countries and both genders, except for women in Singapore, the decrease in mortality began in the younger age groups. The colorectal cancer mortality in the four studied Asian countries has started to decrease, and the decrease occurred first in the younger age groups.