Table 1.
Patients’ characteristics categorized by alpha-fetoprotein level.
| Characteristic | Elevated AFP (≥20 ng/mL), n = 2036 | Normal AFP (<20 ng/mL), n = 1941 | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 63 (55–71) | 63 (56–71) | 0.286 |
| Male | 1437 (70.6%) | 1434 (73.9%) | 0.02 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.2 (22.1–26.9) | 24.9 (22.5–27.8) | <0.001 |
| Diagnosis method | <0.001 | ||
| Clinical diagnosis | 896 (44.0%) | 593 (30.6%) | |
| Pathology diagnosis | 1140 (56.0%) | 1348 (69.4%) | |
| AUD | 0.460 | ||
| Yes | 260 (12.8%) | 225 (11.6%) | |
| No | 1762 (86.5%) | 1705 (87.8%) | |
| Not available | 11 (0.6%) | 14 (0.7%) | |
| HBsAg | 0.002 | ||
| Positive | 1006 (49.4%) | 866 (44.6%) | |
| Negative | 1030 (50.6%) | 1075 (55.4%) | |
| Anti-HCV | 0.327 | ||
| Positive | 741(36.4%) | 674 (34.7%) | |
| Negative | 1295 (63.6%) | 1266 (65.2%) | |
| Not available | 0 | 1 (0.1%) | |
| Cirrhosis | 0.001 | ||
| Yes | 1469 (72.2%) | 1294 (66.7%) | |
| No | 561 (27.6%) | 640 (33.0%) | |
| Not available | 7 (0.4%) | 6 (0.3%) | |
| Child–Pugh class | <0.001 | ||
| A | 1587 (77.9%) | 1627 (83.80%) | |
| B | 345 (16.9%) | 235 (12.1%) | |
| C | 70 (3.4%) | 51 (2.6%) | |
| Not available | 34 (1.7%) | 28 (1.4%) | |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.0 (0.8–1.3) | 1.0 (0.8–1.3) | 0.731 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 1.1 (0.8–1.7) | 1.0 (0.7–1.4) | <0.001 |
| INR | 1.0 (1.0–1.1) | 1.0 (1.0–1.1) | <0.001 |
| Tumor size (mm) | 46 (26–98) | 28 (20–45) | <0.001 |
| Tumor number | <0.001 | ||
| Single | 1064 (52.3%) | 1360 (70.1%) | |
| Multiple | 972 (47.7%) | 581 (29.9%) | |
| 7th edition AJCC stage | <0.001 | ||
| 1 | 788 (38.7%) | 1168 (60.2%) | |
| 2 | 340 (16.7%) | 414 (21.3%) | |
| 3 | 617 (30.3%) | 233 (12.0%) | |
| 4 | 279 (13.7%) | 72 (3.7%) | |
| Not available | 12 (0.6%) | 54 (2.8%) | |
| BCLC stage | <0.001 | ||
| 0 | 206 (10.1%) | 293 (15.1%) | |
| A | 566 (27.3%) | 867 (44.7%) | |
| B | 446 (21.9%) | 362 (18.7%) | |
| C | 676 (33.2%) | 279 (14.4%) | |
| D | 124 (6.1%) | 81(4.2%) | |
| Not available | 28 (1.4%) | 59 (3.0%) |
AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; BMI, body mass index; AUD, alcohol use disorder; HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen; anti-HCV, anti-hepatitis C virus antibody; INR, international normalized ratio; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer.