Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
|
Dexamethasome (n = 49)
|
Placebo (n = 51)
|
P value | |||
|
|
n
|
%
|
n
|
%
|
|
| Sex | 0.721 | ||||
| Male | 40 | 81.60 | 43 | 84.30 | |
| Female | 9 | 18.40 | 8 | 15.70 | |
| Age (yr) | 0.679 | ||||
| mean ± SD | 61.18 ± 11.13 | 61.82 ± 10.68 | |||
| Size (cm) | 0.154 | ||||
| Median (min-max) | 3.9 | (0.40-18.30) | 5.4 | (0.80-18.00) | 0.061 |
| > 3 cm | 30 | 61.20 | 40 | 78.40 | |
| Etiology | 0.209 | ||||
| Hepatitis B | 22 | 44.90 | 22 | 43.10 | |
| Hepatitis C | 17 | 34.70 | 14 | 27.50 | |
| Cryptogenic | 3 | 6.10 | 11 | 21.60 | |
| Alcoholic cirrhosis | 5 | 10.20 | 3 | 5.90 | |
| NASH | 1 | 2.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| BCLC staging | 0.154 | ||||
| A | 11 | 22.40 | 7 | 13.70 | |
| B | 36 | 73.50 | 44 | 86.30 | |
| ECOG performance status | 0.845 | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14.30 | 10 | 19.60 | |
| 1 | 39 | 79.60 | 39 | 76.50 | |
| Child-Pugh class | 0.511 | ||||
| A | 41 | 83.70 | 45 | 88.20 | |
| B | 8 | 16.30 | 6 | 11.80 | |
| AFP level | 0.72 | ||||
| None | 46 | 93.90 | 50 | 98.00 | |
| > 400 ng/mL | 10 | 20.40 | 9 | 17.60 | |
| No of TACE | 0.744 | ||||
| 1 | 29 | 59.20 | 31 | 60.80 | |
| 2 | 9 | 18.40 | 9 | 17.60 | |
| Embolization agent | 0.619 | ||||
| Lipiodol plus doxorubicin | 15 | 30.60 | 18 | 35.30 | |
| Lipiodol plus mitomycin-C | 34 | 69.40 | 33 | 64.70 | |
| Lipiodol dose | 0.483 | ||||
| mean ± SD | 10.67 ± 3.01 | 10.14 ± 1.60 | |||
| Level of embolisation | 0.612 | ||||
| Right branch | 30 | 61.20 | 36 | 70.60 | |
| Left branch | 11 | 22.40 | 8 | 15.70 | |
| Main trunk | 7 | 14.30 | 7 | 13.70 | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 0.806 | ||||
| None | 30 | 61.20 | 30 | 58.80 | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 19 | 38.80 | 21 | 41.20 | |
NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; TACE: Transarterial chemoembolization.