(b).
| Variables | Optimal follow-up n=156 | No optimal follow-up n=35 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | 0.326 | ||
| Female | 93 (59.6 %) | 24 (68.6%) | |
| Male | 63 (40.4 %) | 11 (31.4%) | |
| Age (years), median (range) | 70 (33-87) | 72 (42-83) | 0.712 |
| PLT (×104/µL), median (range) | 9.9 (2.0-26.2) | 12.3 (3.5-19.8) | 0.114 |
| PT (%), median (range) | 79 (10-109) | 81 (44-102.1) | 0.721 |
| ALB (g/dL), median (range) | 3.6 (1.6-4.9) | 3.6 (2.0-4.6) | 0.332 |
| T-BIL (mg/dL), median (range) | 0.9 (0.3-5.3) | 0.9 (0.4-5.8) | 0.611 |
| ALT (IU/L), median (range) | 44 (10-360) | 45 (10-421) | 0.142 |
| AFP (ng/mL), median (range) | 45 (10-306) | 40 (12-109) | 0.960 |
| Tumor diameter (mm), median (range) | 17.5 (5-70) | 22 (7-120) | 0.003 |
| Child-Pugh class, n (%) | 0.188 | ||
| A | 130 (83.3%) | 26 (74.3%) | |
| B | 24 (15.4%) | 7 (20.0%) | |
| C | 2 (1.3%) | 2 (5.7%) | |
| Treatment, n (%) | 0.005 | ||
| Surgery | 40 (25.6%) | 13 (37.1%) | |
| RFA | 96 (61.5%) | 11 (31.4%) | |
| TACE/TAI | 18 (11.5%) | 9 (25.7%) | |
| Others | 2 (1.3%) | 2 (5.7%) | |
| Etiology, n (%) | 0.223 | ||
| HBV | 19 (12.2%) | 7 (20.0%) | |
| HCV | 137 (87.8%) | 29 (80.0%) | |
| Imaging for surveillance, n (%) | |||
| Combination of CT, MRI, and US | 108 (69.2%) | - | |
| Only US | 48 (30.8%) | - |
Abbreviations: PLT: platelet count, PT: prothrombin activity, ALB: albumin, T-BIL: total bilirubin, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, AFP: α-fetoprotein, RFA: radiofrequency ablation, TACE: transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, TAI: transcatheter arterial infusion, HBV: hepatitis B virus, HCV: hepatitis C virus, CT: computed tomography, MRI: magnetic resonance imaging, US: ultrasonography