TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of COVID-19 on Incidence, Treatment, and Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Netherlands
AU - Furumaya, Alicia
AU - van Delden, Otto M.
AU - de Wilde, Roeland F.
AU - de Vos-Geelen, Judith
AU - van der Geest, Lydia G.
AU - Dutch Hepatocellular & Cholangiocarcinoma Group (DHCG)
AU - Covid Cancer Care NL Consortium
PY - 2024/10/30
Y1 - 2024/10/30
N2 - Objective: The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) care is unclear. This study reports on HCC patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC between 2017 and 2020 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registration. Monthly incidence rates were compared between 2020 and 2017-2019. Patient, tumor, process, and treatment characteristics and survival were compared between 2020 and 2017-2019, and between COVID-high (April and May 2020) and COVID-low (June and July 2020) months. Results: The incidence of HCC was lower in May 2020 (IRR 0.56, P = 0.001) and higher in June 2020 (IRR 1.32, P = 0.05) compared to the same months in 2017-2019. In 2017-2019, 2134 patients presented with HCC, compared to 660 in 2020. Time-to-treatment was shorter in 2020 (median 60 vs. 70 days, P < 0.001). The percentage of patients undergoing any treatment did not differ, yet if treatment was not performed this was more commonly due to comorbidity in 2020 (52 vs. 39%, P < 0.001). No other differences were found in patient, tumor, process and treatment characteristics and survival between COVID-high and COVID-low months. Conclusions: This study demonstrated no impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCC patients, despite a decrease in HCC diagnoses.
AB - Objective: The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) care is unclear. This study reports on HCC patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC between 2017 and 2020 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registration. Monthly incidence rates were compared between 2020 and 2017-2019. Patient, tumor, process, and treatment characteristics and survival were compared between 2020 and 2017-2019, and between COVID-high (April and May 2020) and COVID-low (June and July 2020) months. Results: The incidence of HCC was lower in May 2020 (IRR 0.56, P = 0.001) and higher in June 2020 (IRR 1.32, P = 0.05) compared to the same months in 2017-2019. In 2017-2019, 2134 patients presented with HCC, compared to 660 in 2020. Time-to-treatment was shorter in 2020 (median 60 vs. 70 days, P < 0.001). The percentage of patients undergoing any treatment did not differ, yet if treatment was not performed this was more commonly due to comorbidity in 2020 (52 vs. 39%, P < 0.001). No other differences were found in patient, tumor, process and treatment characteristics and survival between COVID-high and COVID-low months. Conclusions: This study demonstrated no impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCC patients, despite a decrease in HCC diagnoses.
KW - cancer
KW - coronavirus infections
KW - epidemiology
KW - liver
U2 - 10.1017/dmp.2024.176
DO - 10.1017/dmp.2024.176
M3 - Article
SN - 1935-7893
VL - 18
JO - Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
JF - Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
M1 - e243
ER -