Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a commonly diagnosed malignancy with highly heterogeneous incidence and mortality rates worldwide. High body mass index (BMI) is a well-defined risk factor for CRC. The mortality trends of CRC among patients who are overweight contributions at the global and national levels are largely unknown.
Method: We collected data on CRC-related mortality attributable to high BMI from 1990 to 2017 from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 database. The annual average percentage change (AAPC) was used to quantify the CRC age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) trends.
Results: Globally, approximately 896,040 CRC-related deaths occurred in 2017, among which 73,222 (8.2%; 54,193 in men and 19,029 in women) deaths were attributable to high BMI. The high-BMI-related CRC ASMR increased from 0.81 per 100,000 in 1990 to 0.93 per 100,000 in 2017, with an AAPC of 0.42 (95% CI 0.36, 0.49). The increasing trend was consistent among populations of different sexes and ages. A more pronounced increase was found in men and in regions with middle or low socio-demographic indexes.
Conclusion: The increase in high-BMI-related CRC mortality suggests scarce attention to overweight in the current prevention strategies and highlights its priority in future prevention strategies for CRC.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Global burden of disease; High BMI; Mortality.