Abstract: Objective To describe the incidence and mortality of brain tumors in China in 2020 and to predict the disease burden up to 2040. Methods The brain tumor incidence and mortality in 2020 were recorded based on the data from International Agency for Cancer Research(IARC), Cancer Today database. The incidence and mortality were standardized by age using Segi's world standard population. The burden of brain tumors in 2040 was predicted with assuming that national rates remained constant in 2020. Results It was estimated there were approximately 79 600 new brain tumors cases and 65 200 deaths in China in 2020. The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of brain tumors in China were 4.1/100 000 and 3.2/100 000, respectively, which were lower than the United States of America, most of European countries and Australia. The incidence and mortality were higher than Africa, central America, and the Caribbean. From 2020 to 2040, the brain tumors cases and deaths are predicted to have an increase as 32.1% and 41.5% respectively. Conclusions The disease burden of brain tumors was still heavy in China. Further studies are urgently needed to clarify the epidemic trend of tissue typing and risk factors of brain tumors, which may support the development of effective prevention strategies.

Key words: brain tumors, incidence, mortality, China