ArticleBMJ open gastroenterology2023
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the West of Scotland: a cohort study.
Article in BMJ open gastroenterology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Current advances and future directions in the management of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.Gastroenterology report · 2026Review
- Ten-Year Trends in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mortality: Examining the Interaction Between Fibrosis Score and Patient Age.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Decreased overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma during the COVID-19 pandemic.Translational gastroenterology and hepatology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic had an undoubted impact on the provision of elective and emergency cancer care, including the diagnosis and management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim was to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with HCC in the West of Scotland.
designThis was a retrospective audit of a prospectively collated database of patients presented to the West of Scotland Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) between April and October 2020 (during the pandemic), comparing baseline demographics, characteristics of disease at presentation, diagnostic workup, treatment and outcomes with patients from April to October 2019 (pre pandemic).
resultsThere was a 36.5% reduction in new cases referred to the MDT during the pandemic. Patients presented at a significantly later Barcelona Cancer Liver Clinic stage (24% stage D during the pandemic, 9.5% pre pandemic, p<0.001) and with a significantly higher Child-Pugh Score (46% Child-Pugh B/C during the pandemic vs 27% pre pandemic, p<0.001). We observed a reduction in overall survival (OS) among all patients with a median OS during the pandemic of 6 months versus 17 months pre pandemic (p=0.048).
conclusionThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have contributed to a reduction in the presentation of new cases and survival among patients with HCC in the West of Scotland. The reason for this is likely multifactorial, but disruption of standard care is likely to have played a significant role. Resources should be provided to address the backlog and ensure there are robust investigation and management pathways going forward.
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