Table 1 Patients’ baseline and primary hepatocellular carcinoma characteristics

Age (years)

54.4 ± 9.5

53.1 ± 9.2

55.1 ± 9.7

0.261

Sex (male)

115 (85.8%)

45 (90.0%)

70 (83.3%)

0.285

BCLC stage

0.206

 0

4 (3.0%)

0

4 (4.8%)

 A

34 (25.4%)

15 (30.0%)

19 (22.6%)

 B

49 (36.6%)

18 (36.0%)

31 (36.9%)

 C

43 (32.1%)

14 (28.0%)

29 (34.5%)

 D

4 (3.0%)

3 (6.0%)

1 (1.2%)

ECOG performance status

0.571

 0

112 (83.6%)

41 (82.0%)

71 (84.5%)

 1

17 (12.7%)

6 (12.0%)

11 (13.1%)

 2

4 (3.0%)

2 (4.0%)

2 (2.4%)

 3

1 (0.7%)

1 (2.0%)

0

 4

0

0

0

Etiology

0.716

 HBV

111 (82.8%)

42 (84.0%)

69 (82.1%)

 HCV

1 (0.7%)

0

1 (1.2%)

 Alcohol

5 (3.7%)

1 (2.0%)

4 (4.8%)

 Unknown

17 (12.7%)

7 (14.0%)

10 (11.9%)

Child-Pugh classification

0.422

 A

116 (86.6%)

41 (82.0%)

75 (89.3%)

 B

13 (9.7%)

6 (12.0%)

7 (8.3%)

 C

5 (3.7%)

3 (6.0%)

2 (2.4%)

Liver cirrhosis

49 (36.6%)

14 (28.0%)

35 (41.7%)

0.112

Initial AFP (ng/ml)

73.0 (1.0–585,000)

60.7 (1.0–585,000)

80.0 (1.0–485,000)

0.601

Treatment of HCC

0.171

 Surgery

107 (79.9%)

43 (86.0%)

64 (76.2%)

 TACE

27 (20.1%)

7 (14.0%)

20 (23.8%)

 RFA

0

0

0