Global burden of colorectal cancer in 2022 and projections to 2050: incidence and mortality estimates from GLOBOCAN

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the common cancers worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer — related deaths. This study aimed to analyze the incidence and mortality of CRC in different global regions through the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) database, so as to provide data support for CRC prevention and treatment. In this study, data on CRC incidence cases and deaths were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database for the world, 20 regions, and China, and age—standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age—standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were analyzed by sex, world region, age, and human development index (HDI). Finally, the incident cases and deaths of CRC from 2022 to 2050 were predicted. Data showed that in 2022, there were 1,926,425 global CRC incident cases and 904,019 deaths, with Eastern Asia having the highest numbers. China reported 517,106 incident cases and 240,010 deaths. ASIR and ASMR were higher among males than females across all regions, including China. Globally and in China, the incident cases and deaths of CRC significantly increased after the age of 40. Additionally, regions with a high HDI had higher numbers of incident and death cases of CRC, while those with a low HDI had relatively lower numbers. If CRC incidence rates remained unchanged from 2022, global new CRC cases were projected to reach 2.36 million by 2050, marking a 22.51% increase from 2022; under this same scenario of constant incidence rate, China’s new cases were estimated to decline to 464,000, representing a 10.27% decrease from 2022. The incidence and mortality of CRC were positively correlated with the HDI level, and gender and age were key factors affecting CRC incidence and mortality. Preventive measures needed to be taken to address the rising trends of global incidence and mortality.