Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the patients
| Characteristic | Total cohort | Matched cohort | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TKI-I group (n = 68) |
TKI group (n = 64) |
P | TKI-I group (n = 48) |
TKI group (n = 48) |
P | ||
| Sex | |||||||
| Male | 58 (85.3) | 57 (89.1) | 0.518 | 40 (83.3) | 44 (91.7) | 0.217 | |
| Female | 10 (14.7) | 7 (10.9) | 8 (16.7) | 4 (8.3) | |||
| Age (years) | 55.0 (29.0–75.0) | 58.5 (28.0–75.0) | 0.398 | 57.5 (35.0–75.0) | 60.0 (28.0–75.0) | 0.538 | |
| < 60 | 42 (61.8) | 32 (50.0) | 0.173 | 25 (52.1) | 23 (47.9) | 0.683 | |
| ≥ 60 | 26 (38.2) | 32 (50.0) | 23 (47.9) | 25 (52.1) | |||
| ECOG PS | |||||||
| 1 | 22 (32.4) | 27 (42.2) | 0.242 | 15 (31.3) | 15 (31.3) | > 0.999 | |
| 0 | 46 (67.6) | 37 (57.8) | 33 (68.8) | 33 (68.8) | |||
| HBsAg | |||||||
| Positive | 56 (82.4) | 58 (90.6) | 0.166 | 40 (83.3) | 44 (91.7) | 0.217 | |
| Negative | 12 (17.6) | 6 (9.4) | 8 (16.7) | 4 (8.3) | |||
| Child-Pugh class | |||||||
| B | 5 (7.4) | 13 (20.3) | 0.030 | 5 (10.4) | 3 (6.3) | 0.712 | |
| A | 63 (92.6) | 51 (79.7) | 43 (89.6) | 45 (93.8) | |||
| AFP (µg/L) | 209.1 (1.5-172903.5) | 201.7 (1.3-800000.0) | 0.623 | 276.2 (1.8-172903.5) | 167.9 (1.3-800000.0) | 0.758 | |
| ≥ 200 | 35 (51.5) | 32 (50.0) | 0.866 | 27 (56.3) | 23 (47.9) | 0.414 | |
| < 200 | 33 (48.5) | 32 (50.0) | 21 (43.8) | 25 (52.1) | |||
| Number of tumors* | 2 (1–10) | 3 (1–10) | 0.017 | 2 (1–10) | 3 (1–10) | 0.129 | |
| > 3 | 17 (25.0) | 28 (43.8) | 0.023 | 14 (29.2) | 21 (43.8) | 0.138 | |
| ≤ 3 | 51 (75.0) | 36 (56.3) | 34 (70.8) | 27 (56.3) | |||
| Tumor distribution | |||||||
| Bilobar | 31 (45.6) | 43 (67.2) | 0.012 | 25 (52.1) | 30 (62.5) | 0.302 | |
| Unilobar | 37 (54.4) | 21 (32.8) | 23 (47.9) | 18 (37.5) | |||
| Largest tumor size (cm) | 7.9 (3.0-20.2) | 8.2 (3.0-19.8) | 0.340 | 8.3 (3.0-20.2) | 8.9 (3.0-19.1) | 0.373 | |
| > 7.0 | 42 (61.8) | 39 (60.9) | 0.922 | 30 (62.5) | 32 (66.7) | 0.670 | |
| ≤ 7.0 | 26 (38.2) | 25 (39.1) | 18 (37.5) | 16 (33.3) | |||
| Macrovascular invasion | |||||||
| Yes | 55 (80.9) | 48 (75.0) | 0.415 | 36 (75.0) | 40 (83.3) | 0.315 | |
| No | 13 (19.1) | 16 (25.0) | 12 (25.0) | 8 (16.7) | |||
| TKI | |||||||
| Sorafenib | 29 (42.6) | 26 (40.6) | 0.814 | 22 (45.8) | 22 (45.8) | > 0.999 | |
| Lenvatinib | 39 (57.4) | 38 (59.4) | 26 (54.2) | 26 (54.2) | |||
| Number of previous TACE | 3 (2–11) | 3 (2–9) | 0.519 | 3 (2–7) | 3 (2–9) | 0.817 | |
| 2 | 23 (33.8) | 26 (40.6) | 0.419 | 16 (33.3) | 20 (41.7) | 0.399 | |
| > 2 | 45 (66.2) | 38 (59.4) | 32 (66.7) | 28 (58.3) | |||
| TACE technique | |||||||
| D-TACE | 28 (41.2) | 28 (43.8) | 0.765 | 22 (45.8) | 24 (50.0) | 0.683 | |
| cTACE | 40 (58.8) | 36 (56.3) | 26 (54.2) | 24 (50.0) | |||
Data were presented as n (%) or median (range). *Six and 7 patients in TKI-I group and TKI group, respectively, in the total cohort, and 4 patients each in TKI-I group and TKI group in the matched cohort had more than 10 intrahepatic tumors, and the number of tumors was counted as 10. PSM propensity score matching, TKI-I tyrosine kinase inhibitor combined with iodine-125 seed brachytherapy, TKI tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ECOG PS Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, HBsAg hepatitis B surface antigen, AFP α-fetoprotein, TACE transarterial chemoembolization, D-TACE drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization, cTACE conventional transarterial chemoembolization