Abstract
Background Smoking remains a major risk factor for urological cancers, but its global burden across socio-demographic index (SDI) lacks quantification. Moreover, differences in age and gender among populations also have a significant impact on tobacco control, thereby influencing the incidence of urological cancers. Clarifying these trends is crucial for prioritizing targeted prevention policies. Methods The data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 platform. Patients were initially diagnosed using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10) for urological cancers and classified into smoking population according to the definition of GBD. The annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were measured by the Joinpoint regression program. Results Although age-standardized rates of DALYs (ASDRs) for urological cancers attributed to smoking showed a downward trend globally (-1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.29 to -1.04, -1.72, 95%CI: -1.86 to -1.59, and -1.84, 95%CI: -1.95 to -1.74), the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) continued to increase from 1991 to 2021. In regions with high SDI, the highest numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of DALYs were observed. Meanwhile, high and high-middle SDI regions experienced the most significant declines in ASDRs from 1991 to 2021. The burden of urological cancers for men was much higher than that for women. The number of DALYs showed a trend of younger aggregation as the SDI decreased, and the upward trend of ASDRs with age became gentler. Conclusion The current study analyzed the burden of kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers attributed to smoking around the world from 1991 to 2021, providing comprehensive information for the prevention of urological cancers and policymaking.