Table 3.

Association between antibiotics and mortality (cancer-related mortality and all-cause mortality) according to nature of antibiotics

	aHR*	95% CI	p value
Cancer-related mortality
Anti-anaerobic versus anti-aerobic activity
Nonuse (n = 286, deaths = 153)	Ref	−	−
Anti-anaerobic (n = 94, deaths = 69)	1.68	1.12–2.52	0.013
Anti-aerobic (n = 15, deaths = 9)	2.24	1.04–4.83	0.039
Duration of antibiotics
Nonuse (n = 286, deaths = 153)	Ref	−	−
≤2 weeks (n = 63, deaths = 44)	1.65	1.08–2.54	0.021
>2 weeks (n = 46, deaths = 34)	1.94	1.14–3.30	0.015
All-cause mortality
Anti-anaerobic versus anti-aerobic activity
Nonuse (n = 286, deaths = 188)	Ref	−	−
Anti-anaerobic (n = 94, deaths = 86)	1.77	1.23–2.54	0.002
Anti-aerobic (n = 15, deaths = 12)	2.11	1.09–4.11	0.027
Duration of antibiotics
Nonuse (n = 286, deaths = 188)	Ref	−	−
≤2 weeks (n = 63, deaths = 56)	1.77	1.21–2.60	0.003
>2 weeks (n = 46, deaths = 42)	1.90	1.19–3.02	0.007

aHR, adjusted hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; PPIs, proton pump inhibitors; TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; DM, diabetes mellitus; IHD, ischemic heart disease; AF, atrial fibrillation; CHF, congestive heart failure; AFP, alpha fetoprotein; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotrans-ferase; INR, international normalized ratio.

^*Adjusted for age of receiving immunotherapy, sex, type of immunotherapy, prior hepatectomy/TACE/ablative therapy, alcohol-related diseases, DM, hypertension, IHD, AF, CHF, stroke, hepatic decompensation, cause of cirrhosis, prednisolone, aspirin, statins, PPIs, prior sorafenib/lenvatinib use, AFP, bilirubin, ALP, ALT, AST, albumin, globulin, INR, platelet, creatinine, sodium.