ReviewBMJ open gastroenterology2022
COVID-19 and liver cancer: lost patients and larger tumours.
Review in BMJ open gastroenterology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed.
- Glioblastoma treatment patterns and outcomes over 18 years in an Irish cancer centre.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Trends in incidence, prevalence, and survival of primary liver cancer in the United Kingdom (2000-2021).European journal of public health · 2026Article
- Mandated capacity reductions created new gender disparities in liver cancer surveillance: a population-based cohort study.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Changes in proportions of Cesarean section before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2025Observational
- Article
- Health inequalities in hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and survival in the United Kingdom: a scoping review.BJC reports · 2025Article
- Bridging the gap between hepatocellular carcinoma management guidelines and personalised medicine: a Bayesian network study.Frontiers in bioinformatics · 2025Article
- Epidemiology of liver cancer in Kazakhstan: data from the Unified National Electronic Health System, 2014-2023.PloS one · 2025Article
- During the COVID-19 pandemic 20 000 prostate cancer diagnoses were missed in England.BJU international · 2024Article
- COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Diagnosis, Stage, and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States.Gastro hep advances · 2024Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the West of Scotland: a cohort study.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2023Article
- Article
- Article
- Changes in the alcohol-specific disease burden during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: interrupted time series analyses.European journal of public health · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on 1-Year Survival Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Cohort Study.Cancers · 2023Article
- COVID-19 and Fatty Liver Disorders.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Disparities in care and outcomes for primary liver cancer in England during 2008-2018: a cohort study of 8.52 million primary care population using the QResearch database.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Early survival for patients newly diagnosed with cancer during COVID-19 in Ontario, Canada: A population-based cohort study.Cancer medicine · 2023Article
- SARS-CoV-2-mediated liver injury: pathophysiology and mechanisms of disease.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2023Review
- COVID-19 in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease - predictors of outcomes.World journal of virology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
37 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNorthern England has been experiencing a persistent rise in the number of primary liver cancers, largely driven by an increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) secondary to alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Here we review the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary liver cancer services and patients in our region.
objectiveTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with newly diagnosed liver cancer in our region.
designWe prospectively audited our service for the first year of the pandemic (March 2020-February 2021), comparing mode of presentation, disease stage, treatments and outcomes to a retrospective observational consecutive cohort immediately prepandemic (March 2019-February 2020).
resultsWe observed a marked decrease in HCC referrals compared with previous years, falling from 190 confirmed new cases to 120 (37%). Symptomatic became the the most common mode of presentation, with fewer tumours detected by surveillance or incidentally (% surveillance/incidental/symptomatic; 34/42/24 prepandemic vs 27/33/40 in the pandemic, p=0.013). HCC tumour size was larger in the pandemic year (60±4.6 mm vs 48±2.6 mm, p=0.017), with a higher incidence of spontaneous tumour haemorrhage. The number of new cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) fell only slightly, with symptomatic presentation typical. Patients received treatment appropriate for their cancer stage, with waiting times shorter for patients with HCC and unchanged for patients with ICC. Survival was associated with stage both before and during the pandemic. 9% acquired COVID-19 infection.
conclusionThe pandemic-associated reduction in referred patients in our region was attributed to the disruption of routine healthcare. For those referred, treatments and survival were appropriate for their stage at presentation. Non-referred or missing patients are expected to present with more advanced disease, with poorer outcomes. While protective measures are necessary during the pandemic, we recommend routine healthcare services continue, with patients encouraged to engage.
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