TABLE 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
| All patients (n = 826) | Huaier group (n = 174) | Control group (n = 652) | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients background | ||||
| Age, y | 57.0 (50.0–63.0) | 54.0 (47.0–60.0) | 57.0 (50.0–63.0) | < 0.001 |
| Sex, male | 639 (77.3) | 140 (80.4) | 499 (76.5) | 0.216 |
| Family history of HCC | 72 (8.7) | 21 (12.1) | 51 (7.8) | 0.078 |
| Smoking | 342 (41.4) | 65 (37.4) | 277 (42.5) | 0.222 |
| Alcohol consumption | 332 (40.2) | 65 (37.4) | 267 (40.9) | 0.390 |
| Hypertension | 212 (25.6) | 42 (24.1) | 170 (26.1) | 0.604 |
| Diabetes | 180 (21.8) | 36 (20.7) | 144 (22.1) | 0.692 |
| Cirrhosis | 738 (89.3) | 151 (86.8) | 587 (90.0) | 0.217 |
| Etiology | 0.062 | |||
| HBV | 580 (70.2) | 135 (77.6) | 445 (68.3) | |
| HCV | 103 (12.5) | 15 (8.6) | 88 (13.5) | |
| Other | 143 (17.3) | 24 (13.8) | 119 (18.3) | |
| Laboratory parameters | ||||
| MELD score | 8.8 (5.4–12.8) | 7.2 (4.2–10.3) | 9.4 (5.7–14.1) | < 0.001 |
| ALT, U/L | 36.8 (23.1–62.4) | 31.3 (22.0–46.4) | 39.0 (23.8–68.0) | 0.001 |
| AST, U/L | 52.1 (30.5–113.3) | 34.4 (25.4–55.5) | 59.3 (33.6–132.0) | < 0.001 |
| TBIL, µmol/L | 25.8 (14.4–48.4) | 18.2 (11.5–31.8) | 28.9 (16.2–56.2) | < 0.001 |
| ALB, g/L | 34.0 ± 6.9 | 36.8 ± 6.7 | 33.3 ± 6.8 | < 0.001 |
| γ–GGT, U/L | 66.8 (30.2–159.9) | 40.8 (23.4–95.9) | 82.0 (33.3–180.4) | < 0.001 |
| PLT, 109/L | 99.1 (65.0–150.1) | 88.5 (52.3–134.9) | 103.0 (67.4–154.6) | < 0.001 |
| INR | 1.2 (1.1–1.3) | 1.1 (1.0–1.2) | 1.2 (1.1–1.4) | < 0.001 |
| Cr, µmol/L | 67.0 (57.0–81.6) | 66.6 (57.0–77.0) | 68.0 (59.0–84.0) | < 0.001 |
| AFP, ng/ml (≥400) | 244 (29.5) | 31 (17.8) | 213 (32.7) | < 0.001 |
| Tumor, related indicators | ||||
| Tumor multiplicity (multiple) | 412 (49.9) | 54 (31.0) | 358 (54.9) | < 0.001 |
| Tumor size, cm (≥5) | 345 (41.7) | 47 (27.0) | 298 (45.7) | < 0.001 |
| BCLC stage | ||||
| 0–A | 285 (34.5) | 95 (54.6) | 190 (29.1) | < 0.001 |
| B | 252 (30.5) | 44 (25.3) | 208 (31.9) | < 0.001 |
| C | 176 (21.3) | 19 (10.9) | 157 (24.1) | < 0.001 |
| D | 113 (13.7) | 16 (9.2) | 97 (14.9) | < 0.001 |
| Types of treatment | ||||
| Resection | 56 (6.8) | 18 (10.3) | 48 (7.4) | < 0.001 |
| Minimally invasive | 428 (51.8) | 126 (72.4) | 312 (47.9) | < 0.001 |
| Palliative | 342 (41.4) | 30 (17.3) | 292 (44.7) | < 0.001 |
Abbreviations: HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; MELD, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; TBIL, total bilirubin; ALB, albumin; γ-GGT, γ-glutamyl transferase; Cr, creatinine; INR, international normalized ratio; AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer. Bold values: p < 0.05.