Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the patients before and after PSM.
| Variable | Before PSM | After PSM | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple therapy group | Control group | P | Triple therapy group | Control group | P | |
| Patients | 54 | 143 | 40 | 40 | ||
| Male sex | 51 (94.4) | 112 (78.3) | 0.008 | 37 (92.5) | 38 (95.0) | 1.000 |
| Age ≥ 65 years | 11 (20.4) | 29 (20.3) | 0.989 | 10 (25.0) | 6 (15.0) | 0.424 |
| Child–Pugh score | 0.735 | 0.568 | ||||
| 5 | 20 (37.0) | 62 (43.4) | 16 (40.0) | 15 (37.5) | ||
| 6 | 20 (37.0) | 39 (27.3) | 13 (32.5) | 13 (32.5) | ||
| 7 | 8 (14.8) | 27 (18.9) | 6 (15.0) | 8 (20.0) | ||
| 8 | 4 (7.4) | 10 (7.0) | 3 (7.5) | 2 (5.0) | ||
| 9 | 2 (3.7) | 5 (3.5) | 2 (5.0) | 2 (5.0) | ||
| Number of tumors ≥ 2 | 40 (74.1) | 118 (82.5) | 0.185 | 31 (77.5) | 28 (70.0) | 0.629 |
| Tumor diameter, cm | 0.243 | 0.937 | ||||
| < 3 | 3 (5.6) | 9 (6.3) | 2 (5.0) | 1 (2.5) | ||
| ≥ 3, < 5 | 6 (11.1) | 34 (23.8) | 6 (15.0) | 6 (15.0) | ||
| ≥ 5, < 10 | 30 (55.6) | 69 (48.3) | 21 (52.5) | 20 (50.0) | ||
| ≥ 10 | 15 (27.8) | 31 (21.7) | 11 (27.5) | 13 (32.5) | ||
| Serum AFP, ng/ml | 0.700 | 0.572 | ||||
| < 200 | 27 (50.0) | 79 (55.2) | 21 (52.5) | 17 (42.5) | ||
| ≥ 200, < 400 | 2 (3.7) | 7 (4.9) | 2 (5.0) | 4 (10.0) | ||
| ≥ 400 | 25 (46.3) | 57 (39.9) | 17 (42.5) | 19 (47.5) | ||
| ALP levels ≥ 125 U/L | 26 (48.1) | 87 (60.8) | 0.108 | 23 (57.5) | 23 (57.5) | 1.000 |
| Platelet count ≥ 100 × 109/L | 46 (85.2) | 109 (76.2) | 0.171 | 32 (80.0) | 35 (87.5) | 0.581 |
| ALT levels ≥ 40 U/L | 31 (57.4) | 74 (51.7) | 0.478 | 20 (50.0) | 20 (50.0) | 1.000 |
| Leukocyte ≥ 4 × 109/L | 41 (75.9) | 128 (89.5) | 0.015 | 30 (75.0) | 34 (85.0) | 0.388 |
| BCLC stage | 0.041 | 1.000 | ||||
| B | 3 (5.6) | 24 (16.8) | 3 (7.5) | 3 (7.5) | ||
| C | 51 (94.4) | 119 (83.2) | 37 (92.5) | 37 (92.5) | ||
| Portal vein invasion | 46 (85.2) | 91 (63.6) | 0.003 | 32 (80.0) | 32 (80.0) | 1.000 |
| HBV | 33 (61.1) | 77 (53.8) | 0.360 | 24 (60.0) | 21 (52.5) | 0.678 |
| Lymph node metastasis | 21 (38.9) | 80 (55.9) | 0.033 | 19 (47.5) | 19 (47.5) | 1.000 |
| Extrahepatic metastases | 11 (20.4) | 59 (41.3) | 0.006 | 9 (22.5) | 11 (27.5) | 0.774 |
| Lung | 4 (7.4) | 33 (23.1) | 3 (7.5) | 6 (15.0) | ||
| Bone | 6 (11.1) | 15 (10.5) | 5 (12.5) | 4 (10.0) | ||
| Other | 1 (1.9) | 28 (19.6) | 1 (2.5) | 5 (12.5) | ||
PSM, propensity score matching; AFP, alpha fetoprotein; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; HBV, hepatitis B virus.