Effect of coronavirus disease 2019 on diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review.

Aim: Changes in strategies in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis and the imposing of restrictions have isolated many vulnerable patients including those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from routine medical care. This study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Methods: An extensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases by using the appropriate keywords: COVID-19, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatocellular cancer, and MeSH.