Comparison of Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization-Radiofrequency Ablation and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Alone for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Macrovascular Invasion Using Propensity Score Analysis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of patients before matching.

Variables	Control	TACE	value	TACE + RFA	value
	(n = 269)	(n = 254)		(n = 141)
Median age (range)	55 (25–81)	55 (25–78)	0.695^a)	56 (28–78)	0.241^a)
Sex (M/F)	231/38	217/37	0.886^b)	117/24	0.437^b)
Family history of HCC (yes/no)	38/231	30/224	0.431^b)	15/126	0.317^b)
HBV related (yes/no)	248/21	233/21	0.846^b)	129/12	0.803^b)
GGT (IU/L)	185.3 (90.7–322.2)	125.5 (80.3–181.1)	<0.001^c)	95.2 (59.5–143.4)	<0.001^c)
WBC (×10^9/L)	5.0 (3.6–6.6)	4.6 (3.3–5.9)	0.027^c)	4.5 (3.5–6.5)	0.559^c)
PLT (×10^9/L)	108.4 (69.9–158.8)	93.1 (62.0–144.3)	0.068^c)	112.9 (64.0–161.6)	0.747^c)
AFP (ng/mL) (≥400/<400)	138/131	114/140	0.142^b)	55/86	0.018^b)
PVTT (%)	226 (84.0)	211 (83.1)	0.849^b)	117 (83.0)	0.849^b)
HVTT (%)	12 (4.5)	14 (5.5)	0.757^b)	7 (5.0)	0.987^b)
PVTT + HVTT (%)	31 (11.5)	29 (11.4)	0.844^b)	17 (12.1)	0.979^b)
Tumor number (≥3/<3)	160/109	111/143	<0.001^b)	48/93	<0.001^b)
Tumor diameter (cm) (≥5/<5)	167/102	154/100	0.733^b)	77/64	0.143^b)
Child-Pugh class (A/B or C)	69/200	133/121	<0.001^b)	89/52	<0.001^b)
MELD score	9.1 (5.3–11.9)	6.4 (3.9–8.4)	<0.001^c)	6.0 (3.0–8.3)	<0.001^c)
TNM (III/IV)	221/48	211/43	0.783^b)	125/16	0.085^b)
BCLC (C/D)	202/67	225/29	<0.001^b)	129/12	<0.001^b)

Age is presented as median (range), categorical variables as number (%), continuous variable as mean (interquartile range). a), t-test; b), chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test; c), Mann–Whitney U test. HBV, hepatitis B virus; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; WBC, white blood cell count; PLT, platelet count; AFP, α-fetoprotein; PVTT, portal vein tumor thrombosis; HVTT, hepatic vein tumor thrombosis; MELD, model for end-stage liver disease; TNM, tumor, node, and metastasis staging; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic for Liver Cancer.