TABLE 4.
Demographic, radiological and laboratorial characteristics of the patients after propensity score matching.
| Characteristics | Absence of TACE refractoriness (n = 48) | Presence of TACE refractoriness (n = 48) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56.1 ± 12.4 | 57.3 ± 12.5 | 0.625 |
| Gender (%) | 0.336 | ||
| Male | 41 (85.4%) | 44 (91.7%) | |
| Female | 7 (14.6%) | 4 (8.3%) | |
| Child pugh class (%) | 0.247 | ||
| A | 39 (81.3%) | 43 (89.6%) | |
| B | 9 (18.7%) | 5 (10.4%) | |
| BCLC stage (%) | 1.000 | ||
| 0-A | 26 (54.2%) | 26 (54.2%) | |
| B | 22 (45.8%) | 22 (45.8%) | |
| NLR | 2.49 (IQR, 2.69) | 2.65 (IQR, 3.58) | 0.959 |
| Underlying liver disease (%) | 0.281 | ||
| HBV | 35 (72.9%) | 41 (85.4%) | |
| Other | 4 (8.3%) | 3 (6.3%) | |
| None | 9 (18.8%) | 4(8.3%) | |
| Initial AFP (%) | 0.294 | ||
| ≤400 ug/L | 27 (56.3%) | 32 (66.7%) | |
| >400 ug/L | 21 (43.7%) | 16 (33.3%) | |
| History of resection (%) | 0.371 | ||
| Presence | 5 (10.4%) | 8 (16.6%) | |
| Absence | 43 (89.6%) | 40 (83.4%) | |
| Tumor distribution (%) | 1.000 | ||
| Unilobar | 27 (56.3%) | 27 (56.3%) | |
| Bilobar | 21 (43.7%) | 21 (43.7%) | |
| Number of tumors (%) | 1.000 | ||
| Solitary | 26 (54.2%) | 26 (54.2%) | |
| 2–3 | 16 (33.3%) | 16 (33.3%) | |
| >3 | 6 (12.5%) | 6 (12.5%) | |
| Size of the largest tumor (%) | 0.638 | ||
| ≤50 mm | 14 (29.2%) | 18 (37.5%) | |
| 50–100 mm | 22 (45.8%) | 18(37.5%) | |
| >100 mm | 12 (25.0%) | 12 (25.0%) | |
| Up-to-seven criteria (%) | 0.824 | ||
| Within | 15 (31.3%) | 14 (29.2%) | |
| Beyond | 33 (68.7%) | 34 (70.8%) | |
| Initial embolic agent (%) | 0.063 | ||
| Lipiodol | 32 (66.7%) | 23 (47.9%) | |
| DEB | 16 (33.3%) | 25 (52.1%) |
Note: TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; NLR, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio; IQR, interquartile range; HBV, hepatitis B virus; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; DEB, drug-eluting beads.