Table 3.
Comparison of characteristics of patients with and without recurrence
| Variables | Patients with recurrence (n=47 [42.3%]) |
Patients without recurrence (n=64 [57.7%]) |
P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic variables | |||
| Age, years | 63.4±8.2 | 61.6±10.4 | NS |
| Male sex | 35 (74.5) | 41 (64.1) | NS |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 24.0±2.5 | 24.9±3.6 | NS |
| Etiology, HBV/HCV/NBNC | 24 (51.1)/12 (25.5)/11 (23.4) | 47 (73.4)/7 (10.9)/10 (15.6) | 0.080 |
| Antiviral therapy in HBV/HCV | 19 (79.2)/3 (25.0) | 34 (72.3)/2 (28.5) | NS |
| Liver cirrhosis | 42 (89.4) | 33 (51.6) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 16 (34.0) | 18 (28.1) | NS |
| Previous anti-HCC treatment history | 32 (68.1) | 23 (35.9) | 0.004 |
| RFA/TACE/Others | 3/29/0 | 4/18/1 | |
| Laboratory variables | |||
| Alanine aminotransferase, IU/L | 32.0±19.1 | 38.3±22.9 | NS |
| Serum albumin, mg/dL | 3.76±0.51 | 3.87±0.61 | NS |
| Total bilirubin, mg/dL | 0.98±0.49 | 0.79±0.37 | 0.023 |
| Prothrombin time, INR | 1.08±0.11 | 1.09±0.11 | NS |
| Serum creatinine, mg/dL | 0.88±0.22 | 0.90±0.30 | NS |
| Platelet count, 109/L | 104±33 | 142±75 | 0.002 |
| Spleen size, cm | 11.6±2.1 | 10.3±1.8 | 0.001 |
| Tumor variables | |||
| Alpha-fetoprotein, ng/mL | 118.9±281.5 | 187.1±532.4 | NS |
| Des-gamma carboxyl prothrombin, ng/mL | 187.7±427.7 | 80.8±254.2 | NS |
| Multiple tumor | |||
| One/two/more than three | 33 (70.2)/11 (23.4)/3 (6.4) | 57 (89.0)/6 (9.4)/1 (1.6) | 0.013 |
| Maximal tumor size, cm | 2.1±0.9 | 2.0±0.9 | NS |
| Total tumor size, cm | 2.7±1.4 | 2.2±1.0 | 0.041 |
| Noninvasive fibrosis prediction tools | |||
| Liver stiffness, kPa | 25.8±14.3 | 17.8±13.1 | 0.003 |
| Patients with liver stiffness ≥13 kPa | 41 (87.2) | 31 (48.4) | <0.001 |
| APRI | 1.23±0.76 | 1.15±1.22 | NS |
Notes: Variables are expressed as mean ± SD or n (%).
Abbreviations: APRI, aspartate-to-platelet ratio index; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV, hepatitis C virus; INR, international normalized ratio; NBNC, non-B and non-C; NS, not significant; RFA, radiofrequency ablation; SD, standard deviation; TACE, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.