Burden and forecast of colorectal cancer in the selected East Asian countries (1990–2036): a systematic analysis based on the global burden of disease study 2021

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading global cause of cancer morbidity and mortality, yet how its burden has shifted during rapid demographic and lifestyle change in East Asia remains poorly characterized. This study fills that gap by examining long‑term trends and drivers of CRC burden in the selected East Asian countries—China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Mongolia—between 1990 and 2021, and by projecting future burden through 2036.