Table 1.

Baseline patient characteristics after propensity score matching

Characteristics	All n = 84 (%)	Group A n = 42 (%)	Group B n = 42 (%)	p value
Sex				0.693
Male	77 (91.7)	39 (92.9)	38 (90.5)
Female	7 (8.3)	3 (7.1)	4 (9.5)
Median age [range], years	53.4 [30.0;75.0]	52.7 [32.0;73.0]	54.0 [30.0;75.0]	0.578
BCLC stage				0.693
C	77 (91.7)	38 (90.5)	39 (92.9)
D	7 (8.3)	4 (9.5)	3 (7.1)
Tumour number				0.578
Single	16 (19.0)	9 (21.4)	7 (16.7)
Multiple	68 (81.0)	33 (78.6)	35 (83.3)
PVTT degree				0.661
I+II	16 + 30 (54.8)	7 + 15 (52.4)	9 + 15 (57.1)
III+IV	29 + 9 (45.2)	15 + 5 (47.6)	14 + 4 (42.9)
Hepatitis B				0.306
Yes	80 (95.2)	41 (97.6)	39 (92.9)
No	4 (4.8)	1 (2.4)	3 (7.1)
Child-Pugh class				0.854
A	26 (31.0)	12 (28.6)	14 (33.3)
B	51 (60.7)	26 (61.9)	25 (59.5)
C	7 (8.3)	4 (9.5)	3 (7.1)
Child-Pugh score, [range]	7.4 [5;12]	7.6 [5;12]	7.2 [5;11]	0.262
MELD score, [range]	9.3 [4;15]	9.5 [4;15]	9.1 [6;14]	0.427
MELD score				0.212
≤ 11	72 (85.7)	34 (81.0)	38 (90.5)
> 11	12 (14.3)	8 (19.0)	4 (9.5)
Clinical symptom				0.895
Variceal bleeding	34 (40.5)	17 (40.5)	17 (40.5)
Refractory ascites/hydrothorax	45 (53.6)	22 (52.4)	23 (54.8)
Variceal bleeding+refractory ascites	5 (6.0)	3 (7.1)	2 (4.8)
AFP (ng/ml)				0.821
≤ 400	31 (36.9)	16 (38.1)	15 (35.7)
> 400	53 (63.1)	26 (61.9)	27 (64.3)

Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, data are the number of patients, with percentages in parentheses; Group A, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) plus sequential systemic therapy; Group B, only symptomatic and supportive treatment. p value ≤ 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance

Abbreviations: BCLC Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer, PVTT, portal vein tumour thrombus, MELD Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, AFP alpha-fetoprotein