PurposeTo thoroughly examine the risk factors that may predispose patients with colorectal cancer to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI).MethodsTo find relevant studies (from the beginning up to May 2024), two researchers searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Two researchers evaluated the quality of the literature using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and extracted data individually. Data analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.4.ResultsOur meta-analysis included 23 studies, encompassing a total of 167,904 patients. The identified risk factors for postoperative AKI in colorectal cancer patients were male sex, older age, body mass index (BMI) >= 25 kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypoalbuminemia, emergency surgery, open surgery, prolonged operation time, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score >= 3, and intraoperative transfusion. In contrast, anemia and elevated creatinine levels did not emerge as significant risk factors for AKI in this population.ConclusionTo mitigate the incidence of postoperative AKI among these patients, healthcare professionals must proactively identify these risk factors and implement appropriate preventive measures.