The changing epidemiology of Asian digestive cancers: From etiologies and incidences to preventive strategies

Digestive cancers are a major health burden in Asia. Due to the presence of similar “infection-inflammation-cancer” pathways in the carcinogenesis process, eradicating infective pathogens or attenuating relevant inflammatory signaling pathways may reduce digestive cancer incidences and improve patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to review the recent evidence regarding the epidemiology of three major digestive cancers in Asia: stomach cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer. We focused on the incidence trends, the major etiologies, and especially the potential preventive strategies.