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 2

Baseline characteristics of patients after matching.

Variables	TACE	Control	value	TACE + RFA	Control	value
	(n = 188)	(n = 188)		(n = 102)	(n = 102)
Median age (range)	55 (25–78)	54 (25–81)	0.655^a)	57 (28–78)	53 (25–80)	0.068^a)
Sex (M/F)	164/24	160/28	0.500^b)	84/18	90/12	0.236^b)
Family history of HCC (yes/no)	24/164	25/163	0.878^b)	10/92	15/87	0.286^b)
HBV related (yes/no)	169/19	174/14	0.362^b)	93/9	94/8	0.800^b)
GGT (IU/L)	169.4 (86.8–190.4)	197.9 (83.2–275.3)	0.141^c)	101.5 (59.7–156.4)	112.2 (60.4–185.3)	0.711^c)
WBC (×10^9/L)	5.0 (3.4–5.8)	5.1 (3.5–6.4)	0.319^c)	4.5 (3.6–6.7)	5.2 (3.8–6.3)	0.955^c)
PLT (×10^9/L)	112.6 (61.7–143.8)	126.9 (70.3–162.3)	0.027^c)	111.8 (63.1–161.5)	108.7 (69.9–164.4)	0.898^c)
AFP (ng/mL) (≥400/<400)	90/98	88/100	0.836^b)	44/58	41/61	0.670^b)
PVTT (%)	154 (81.9)	147 (78.2)	0.480^b)	83 (81.4)	85 (83.3)	0.713^b)
HVTT (%)	11 (5.9)	12 (6.4)	1.000^b)	6 (5.9)	6 (5.9)	1.000^b)
PVTT + HVTT (%)	23 (12.2)	29 (15.4)	0.535^b)	13 (12.7)	11 (10.8)	0.663^b)
Tumor number (≥3/<3)	92/96	103/85	0.256^b)	41/61	38/64	0.666^b)
Tumor diameter (cm) (≥5/<5)	109/79	122/66	0.167^b)	56/46	67/35	0.115^b)
Child-Pugh class (A/B or C)	79/109	66/122	0.168^b)	53/49	50/52	0.674^b)
MELD score	6.8 (4.4–8.8)	7.7 (4.8–9.6)	0.672^c)	6.4 (3.4–8.8)	7.4 (4.6–9.3)	0.079^c)
TNM (III/IV)	153/35	155/33	0.789^b)	88/14	88/14	1.000^b)
BCLC (C/D)	160/28	162/26	0.769^b)	92/10	87/15	0.286^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.