If you or a loved one has liver cancer, you are likely to be very worried about the impact of COVID-19.
Here you’ll find all information and links to help you if you live with liver cancer.
How is COVID-19 affecting liver cancer care?
The current advice for cancer patients is to continue with their care plan and treatments as agreed with their healthcare team. If you have any questions about this please speak with your healthcare team.
Does having liver cancer put me at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19?
Some people with liver cancer are more at risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract COVID- 19.
You are more at risk if you
- are undergoing active chemotherapy
- having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments
- have secondary cancers
- are having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
Other factors are also understood to be linked with a poorer prognosis with COVID-19 and may also have been considered in the risk assessment of continuing your treatment.
- Age over 60
- Pre-existing cardiovascular disease
- Pre-existing respiratory disease
Will I stop receiving cancer treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Your hospital team may assess whether the risks of starting or continuing cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic will outweigh the benefits. They will be in touch with you if there will be any changes to your treatment or how you receive it, including any decision to temporarily stop or delay treatment.
However, generally the number of Covid patients is now reducing, and hospitals are now actively planning services. Interventional treatments for cancer patients, such as TACE and MWA are still being performed and hospitals have defined specific pathways to minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Liver cancer patients can also be assessed for transplant.
I have been told to stop taking my cancer medication during the pandemic, what impact does this have on my overall health?
Any decision made to alter or stop your cancer treatment during the COVID-19 outbreak will have been carefully considered by your hospital team – assessing whether the risks of continuing your treatment may outweigh the benefits.
Does my cancer treatment put me more at risk of contracting COVID-19? If so, should I stop taking it?
Do not stop taking your treatment unless you have been advised to by your hospital team.
Some cancer treatments may cause a weak immune system. This is because they can stop the bone marrow from making enough white blood cells, and white blood cells are part of your immune.
If your treatment has weakened your immune system, you will have received a letter from the Government, or your GP or hospital, notifying you that you are considered ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’. You may also be in the group eligible for additional doses of the vaccine. Read our update for people with liver disease on the Covid-19 vaccine here. New treatments have also been developed for those most at risk. You can read more here.
During the peak of the pandemic, you will have been instructed to ‘shield’, but currently the government is advising that you no longer need to shield because the rates of transmission of COVID-19 in the community have fallen significantly.
However, if the situation changes, you should follow any guidance set out locally or any specific law which applies to the area you live in. If you do have any concerns as to how your cancer or your cancer treatment may affect your immune system, your hospital team will be able to provide you with information tailored to you and your treatment.
Will contracting COVID-19 impact my current treatment? How do I manage this?
Your hospital team will be able to advise on how contracting COVID-19 may impact your current treatment schedule. If you are worried that you have contracted COVID-19 please contact your healthcare team by telephone to notify them as soon as possible.
I am currently receiving an immunotherapy treatment, and have questions about how this might be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak…
It is understood that certain groups of people have increased vulnerability to COVID-19, including cancer patients dependent on their cancer and the type of treatment they are receiving.
Hospital teams will consider their cancer patients on an individual basis to assess whether what is known about COVID-19 poses an increased risk to them, and if any changes to their current cancer treatment should be made to help manage or minimise this risk. Such changes may include involve switching a patient’s current treatment to one that can be administered at home, altering the treatment schedule to minimise hospital visits, delaying treatment, etc.
If your healthcare team makes the decision to alter your treatment at all, they will be able to explain the reason for this decision, and the risks and benefits of this decision to you and your family or carers.
On their websites, Macmillan and Cancer Research UK both provide information on how different treatments and different tumour types may be affected by the pandemic:
Macmillan: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/coronavirus/cancer-treatment-and-coronavirus
Cancer Research UK: https://about-cancer.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutcancer/cancer-in-general/coronavirus/cancer-treatment
Will I still have access to planned medical appointments, such as scans and tests whilst receiving my treatment?
The NHS is continuing to ensure essential cancer treatment and diagnostic tests will continue to run during the pandemic. However, in some circumstances there will be some changes in the way these services and treatments are delivered. Your hospital team will call you to discuss these changes, or if they need to rearrange any scans or diagnostic tests.
For general appointments, some hospitals and GP practices are using alternative methods to deliver medical advice and decisions surrounding cancer care, such as telephone or video consultations. These methods of communication are to help cancer patients avoid unnecessary travel to hospitals for appointments and consultations that are not needed to take place in person.
Every individual case is different, and your hospital team will be able to provide you with further information on how your treatment and care plan will be organised. Your safety is paramount during this time, so your hospital team will always ensure to update you with any changes concerning your cancer care. If you are waiting for a test, scan or treatment, but have not heard anything from your hospital team, you should contact them as soon as possible to discuss.
I am nervous to attend a hospital to receive treatment during the outbreak. What alternative options are available (e.g. at home visits, treatment break, change in treatment)?
Your hospital team will be able to discuss if it is necessary for you to travel to hospital to receive treatment and will be able to present alternative options to administer treatment if needed. These discussions will likely be with a doctor and will be conducted via a consultation via telephone or video conference. Some treatment services may be able to be administered at home. Your hospital team will discuss if this is necessary based on your individual treatment plan and circumstance.
Remember - hospitals are increasingly safe places to visit – the number of Covid patients is reducing. If your hospital will do everything they can to ensure patients are as safe as possible and feel safe when they have to attend. Social distancing, strict hygiene and sanitising and using PPE are there to protect patients. Increasingly, if you are admitted for a procedure or a treatment, it is very likely you will need to be tested and be shown to be COVID free before the hospital can proceed – with the reassurance that all the patients around you have also been tested and are also COVID free.
If you have any concerns or questions about attending a hospital appointment, please speak to your hospital team.