Aim: To estimate the burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) in South East Asia.
Methods: We reviewed the evidence from the published literature found through a systematic review in Medline, Embase, and Global Health and from unpublished data on cancer registries, which were sourced from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Incidence rates were summarized by calculating descriptive statistics and meta-analysis estimates.
Results: The crude mean incidence of CRC in South East Asia for both sexes was 6.95/100000 population and the incidence increased with age. The crude meta-analysis estimate was 6.12/100000 population (95% confidence interval 5.64-6.60/100000) and the number of new CRC cases for 2000 was 32058 (29544-34573).
Conclusion: The rates of CRC in South East Asia were much lower than those reported for high-income countries, but higher than those reported for Sub Saharan Africa.