Ke Lu and Gang Xu. Front Oncol 2026 Feb 27:16:1690349
Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common malignant cancer globally, imposes a substantial public health burden. Emerging evidence has highlighted hyperglycemia as an independent risk factor for CRC. Globally, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG)-related CRC deaths increased from 31,907 (1990) to 82,421 (2021), with disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) loss rising from 715,716 to 1,750,923. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) and DALY rates (ASDR) increased by an average of 0.31% overall during the study period but declined post-2019. High Sociodemographic Index regions bore the highest burden, yet trends stabilized, whereas low-middle SDI regions saw the sharpest rise. Males had a higher burden of CRC attributable to high FPG than females. The escalating burden of high FPG-driven CRC underscores its growing role in CRC epidemiology, particularly in aging populations and rapidly urbanizing regions. Persistent gender and socioeconomic disparities necessitate region-specific interventions that integrate diabetes management with CRC screening and equitable access to novel therapies. These findings advocate for prioritizing metabolic risk control in global CRC prevention frameworks to mitigate future burdens.
15 Apr, 2026