Temporal trends and spatial patterns of leukemia subtypes in Asia, 1990–2021: a global burden of disease study

Leukemia remains a critical public health challenge in Asia. We analyzed the epidemiology of five leukemia subtypes (Acute myeloid leukemia, AML; chronic myeloid leukemia, CML; acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL; chronic lymphocytic leukemia, CLL; others) across 49 Asian countries/regions from 1990 to 2021, with projections to 2030. Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, we analyzed age-standardized incidence (ASIR), death (ASDR), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and risk factor data from different perspectives. Joinpoint and Bayesian age-period-cohort models were used for trend analysis and prediction. Total leukemia incidence increased by 50.67%, while DALYs ASR decreased by 16.2%. CLL emerged as the predominant subtype, showing positive correlation with SDI ( r = 0.32, p < 0.05). Smoking accounted for 29.0% of CLL deaths in Lebanon, while high BMI contributed to 24.2% of death in Kuwait. ASIR of CLL in middle SDI regions will increase by 1.31%, while in high SDI regions it will decrease by 0.98% by 2030. Leukemia burden in Asia has undergone substantial subtype-specific transitions from 1990 to 2021. These findings highlight heterogeneous epidemiological patterns among leukemia subtypes and the importance of region-specific strategies for leukemia prevention and management.