Table 1.
Comparisons of clinical characteristics between the early-recurrence group and the not early-recurrence group before and after matching.
| Before matching |
After matching |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early recurrence group | Not early-recurrence group | p | Early recurrence group | Not early-recurrence group | p | |
| n | 452 | 297 | 170 | 170 | ||
| Sex | 0.818 | 1 | ||||
| Male | 395 (87.4) | 257 (86.5) | 147 (86.5) | 146 (85.9) | ||
| Female | 57 (12.6) | 40 (13.5) | 23 (13.5) | 24 (14.1) | ||
| Age (years) | 46.50 [38.00, 54.00] | 50.00 [44.00, 59.00] | <0.001* | 48.50 [39.00, 57.00] | 48.00 [42.00, 57.00] | 0.494 |
| HBsAg | 0.428 | 1 | ||||
| Negative | 58 (12.8) | 45 (15.2) | 22 (12.9) | 21 (12.4) | ||
| Positive | 394 (87.2) | 252 (84.8) | 148 (87.1) | 149 (87.6) | ||
| HBV DNA (copies/ml) | 0.394 | 0.906 | ||||
| <500 | 142 (31.4) | 103 (34.7) | 51 (30.0) | 53 (31.2) | ||
| ≥500 | 310 (68.6) | 194 (65.3) | 119 (70.0) | 117 (68.8) | ||
| AFP level (ng/ml) | <0.001* | 1 | ||||
| <400 | 165 (36.5) | 182 (61.3) | 84 (49.4) | 85 (50.0) | ||
| ≥400 | 287 (63.5) | 115 (38.7) | 86 (50.6) | 85 (50.0) | ||
| Tumor size (cm)† | 9.00 [6.00, 12.00] | 7.00 [5.00, 9.00] | <0.001* | 8.00 [6.00, 11.00] | 7.00 [5.00, 10.00] | 0.133 |
| Edmondson grade† | <0.001* | 0.825 | ||||
| Poorly differentiated | 222 (49.1) | 90 (30.3) | 70 (41.2) | 67 (39.4) | ||
| Moderately and well-differentiated | 230 (50.9) | 207 (69.7) | 100 (58.8) | 103 (60.6) | ||
| Node number | <0.001* | 1 | ||||
| 1 | 308 (68.1) | 271 (91.2) | 149 (87.6) | 150 (88.2) | ||
| ≥2 | 144 (31.9) | 26 (8.8) | 21 (12.4) | 20 (11.8) | ||
| Tumor capsule | <0.001* | 0.129 | ||||
| Complete | 250 (55.3) | 261 (87.9) | 150 (88.2) | 139 (81.8) | ||
| Incomplete | 202 (44.7) | 36 (12.1) | 20 (11.8) | 31 (18.2) | ||
| Resection margin (cm) | 0.378 | 0.327 | ||||
| <1 | 340 (75.2) | 214 (72.1) | 129 (75.9) | 120 (70.6) | ||
| ≥1 | 112 (24.8) | 83 (27.9) | 41 (24.1) | 50 (29.4) | ||
| Ki67 | 0.40 [0.30, 0.70] | 0.20 [0.10, 0.35] | <0.001* | 0.30 [0.20, 0.40] | 0.30 [0.20, 0.40] | 0.847 |
| MVI | <0.001* | 1 | ||||
| No | 59 (13.1) | 135 (45.5) | 51 (30.0) | 51 (30.0) | ||
| Yes | 393 (86.9) | 162 (54.5) | 119 (70.0) | 119 (70.0) | ||
| PVTT | 0.252 | 0.874 | ||||
| No | 314 (69.5) | 271 (91.2) | 148 (87.1) | 146 (85.9) | ||
| Yes | 138 (30.5) | 26 (8.8) | 22 (12.9) | 24 (14.1) | ||
| Liver cirrhosis | <0.001* | 0.712 | ||||
| None/mild | 338 (74.8) | 210 (70.7) | 127 (74.7) | 123 (72.4) | ||
| Moderate/severe | 114 (25.2) | 87 (29.3) | 43 (25.3) | 47 (27.6) | ||
| Postoperative complications | <0.001* | 0.838 | ||||
| No | 381 (84.3) | 279 (93.9) | 156 (91.8) | 158 (92.9) | ||
| Yes | 71 (15.7) | 18 (6.1) | 14 (8.2) | 12 (7.1) | ||
| PA-TACE | 0.786 | 1 | ||||
| No | 225 (49.8) | 144 (48.5) | 96 (56.5) | 96 (56.5) | ||
| Yes | 227 (50.2) | 153 (51.5) | 74 (43.5) | 74 (43.5) | ||
†
In cases involving multiple nodes, only the largest was indicated. * indicates p < 0.05. Data are presented as n (%) by group and compared using the Pearson chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for any cell number < 5. CNLC: China liver cancer; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HR: Hepatic resection; MVI: Microvascular invasion; PA-TACE: Postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization; PVTT: Portal vein tumor thrombus.