Table 1. Characteristics of patients and HCCs per cfDNA level.
|
cfDNA amount
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Low (<117.8 ng ml−1) | High (⩾117.8 ng ml−1) | P-value | |
| Sex | 0.132 | ||
| Male (n=71) | 42 | 29 | |
| Female (n=25) | 19 | 6 | |
| Age (year) | 0.76 | ||
| <60 (n=18) | 12 | 6 | |
| >60 (n=78) | 49 | 29 | |
| Tumour size | 0.879 | ||
| <5 cm (n=76) | 48 | 28 | |
| >5 cm (n=20) | 13 | 7 | |
| Number of primary lesion | 0.299 | ||
| Single (n=56) | 38 | 18 | |
| Multiple (n=40) | 23 | 17 | |
| Venous invasion | 0.586 | ||
| Negative (n=69) | 45 | 24 | |
| Positive (n=27) | 16 | 11 | |
| Tumour differentiation | 0.155 | ||
| Well (G1) (n=24) | 18 | 6 | |
| Moderately (G2) (n=64) | 40 | 24 | |
| Poorly (G3) (n=8) | 3 | 5 | |
| UICC TNM stage | 0.217 | ||
| I (n=44) | 32 | 12 | |
| II (n=42) | 23 | 19 | |
| IIIA/IV (n=10) | 6 | 4 | |
cfDNA=cell-free DNA; HCV=hepatitis C virus; HCC=hepatocellular carcinoma.
To evaluate the high and low of cfDNA levels, we used a cutoff value of 117.8 ng ml−1, which is equal to the mean+2s.d. of the control value (value in HCV carriers without HCC).