Background: Effective prevention and treatment are urgently needed, since gastric cancer (GC) poses a grave threat to the health and well-being of patients. The 5 East Asian countries (China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Mongolia) represent one of the most significant regions globally in terms of GC burden. Objective: The goal of this study is to examine the patterns and trends of GC across 5 East Asian countries between 1990 and 2021. Methods: We retrieved data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 regarding the prevalence, incidence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with GC in 5 East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. We further assessed the burden of GC according to age and sex. We used decomposition analysis to examine the changes in the number of new cases, patients, and deaths related to GC. We also used Joinpoint (Joinpoint Regression Program, Version 5.1.0) and age-period-cohort analysis methods to interpret the epidemiological characteristics of GC. Autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) and Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) prediction models were used to forecast the GC burden by 2036. Results: Among the 5 East Asian countries, China recorded the highest incidence, prevalence, death, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in both 1990 and 2021. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized rates for prevalence, mortality, incidence, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs across the 5 East Asian countries showed an overall decline, though they remained higher than the global average. In all 5 East Asian countries, individuals aged 65 years and older consistently exhibited the highest rates for prevalence, incidence, mortality, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs. The prevalence rate in South Korea, the incidence rate in North Korea and Mongolia, and the mortality rate in China are influenced by aging, surpassing the global aging average. Conclusions: The disease burden of GC in the 5 East Asian countries has consistently ranked high over the past 3 decades, particularly among the older individuals. The burden of GC in the 5 East Asian countries is expected to present a major public health challenge, primarily driven by the large population size and the aging demographic.

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. We obtained data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 on CRC-related prevalence, incidence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the selected countries, further assessed by age and sex. We quantified contributions of population growth, aging and epidemiological change via decomposition analysis, characterized temporal trends with Joinpoint and age-period-cohort analysis, and generated forecasts to 2036 using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average and Bayesian age-period-cohort approaches. Although absolute CRC burden rose across the region-driven largely by population aging-with China exhibiting the highest numbers and Japan exhibiting the highest age‑standardized rates. Older adults bore the greatest share of burden. Decomposition and modeling indicate that demographic shifts have been the predominant force behind increasing CRC counts, and projected trends suggest the regional burden will remain substantial without targeted action. This study provides novel, region‑specific evidence that demographic aging is the principal driver of rising CRC burden in East Asia. The findings highlight an urgent need for tailored prevention, screening and resource planning focused on aging populations to alter the projected trajectory.

Background: In 2022, esophageal cancer (EC) was the eleventh most frequently diagnosed cancer and the seventh leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Nonetheless, the prevalence and burden of EC in Asian countries have been little studied. This study investigated the prevalence, incidence, and burden of EC in five East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021.Methods: We retrieved data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 on the prevalence, incidence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with EC in five East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. The epidemiological characteristics of EC were analyzed by joinpoint regression, age‐period‐cohort analysis, and decomposition analysis. The burden of EC until 2036 was estimated using autoregressive integrated moving average and Bayesian age‐period‐cohort models.Results: Among these East Asian countries, China had the highest incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in 1990 and 2021. China and Mongolia exhibited the highest age‐standardized incidence rate, age‐standardized mortality rate, age‐standardized prevalence rate, age‐standardized YLDs rate, age‐standardized YLLs rate, and age‐standardized DALYs rate from 1990 to 2036. The age group with the highest prevalence rate, incidence rate, mortality rate, YLDs rate, YLLs rate, and DALYs rate in these countries was ≥ 55 years. The prevalence and incidence rates in the five countries were influenced by aging and were higher than the global average.Conclusions: The burden of EC in five East Asian countries was high over the past three decades, particularly among older adults. EC is a significant public health problem in these countries, particularly because of the large population base and aging demographics.

Background: Liver cancer remains a persistent global health challenge due to its high occurrence and fatality rates, critically impacting health outcomes and quality of life. The disease burden in East Asia, considering China, Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia, is among the highest globally. This study aims to examine the patterns and trends of liver cancer in selected East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. Methods: This study employed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 pertaining to key burden metrics—prevalence, incidence, mortality, years of life lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)—for selected East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. Furthermore, the epidemiological trends and patterns were analyzed using decomposition analysis, Joinpoint regression, and age–period–cohort methods. Projections of the cancer burden through 2036 were generated using the Bayesian age–period–cohort model. Results: For all key indicators (incidence, prevalence, mortality, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs), China had the highest values in both 1990 and 2021. The highest age-standardized rates for incidence (ASIR), mortality (ASMR), prevalence (ASPR), YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs (ASDR) were recorded in Mongolia. For all measured indicators of disease burden, the peak rates in each of the selected East Asian nations were consistently concentrated in the population aged 50 and above. Mongolia is forecasted to maintain the top-ranking ASIR values among the selected East Asian nations considered up to 2036. Conclusions: Over the past three decades, liver cancer has imposed a heavy disease burden on all selected East Asian nations, with rates being notably higher in the elderly population. These insights will provide policy-makers with evidence to guide public health strategies for disease prevention.