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 3

Baseline characteristics of patients undergoing TACE or TACE + RFA before and after matching.

Variables	Before matching			After matching
	TACE	TACE + RFA	value	TACE	TACE + RFA	value
	(n = 254)	(n = 141)		(n = 139)	(n = 139)
Median age (range)	55 (25–78)	56 (28–78)	0.131^a)	54 (25–78)	56 (28–78)	0.183^a)
Sex (M/F)	217/37	117/24	0.518^b)	112/27	117/22	0.431^b)
Family history of HCC (yes/no)	30/224	15/126	0.725^b)	15/124	14/125	0.844^b)
HBV related	232/22	129/12	0.959^b)	129/10	127/12	0.657^b)
WBC (×10^9/L)	4.9 (3.3–5.8)	4.5 (3.5–6.5)	0.234^c)	4.7 (3.5–6.0)	4.6 (3.6–6.6)	0.542^c)
PLT (×10^9/L)	114.7 (62.0–144.5)	112.9 (64.0–161.6)	0.287^c)	98.0 (66.0–143.3)	113.9 (65.0–161.8)	0.542^c)
AFP (ng/mL) (≥400/<400)	114/140	55/86	0.258^b)	54/85	54/85	1.000^b)
PVTT (%)	211 (83.1)	117 (83.0)	1.000^b)	119 (85.6)	119 (85.6)	1.000^b)
Vp1	3 (1.2)	2 (1.4)	1.000^b)	1 (0.7)	2 (1.4)	0.562^b)
Vp2	17 (6.7)	15 (10.6)	0.323^b)	14 (10.1)	14 (10.1)	1.000^b)
Vp3	66 (26.0)	44 (31.2)	0.434^b)	53 (38.1)	51 (36.7)	0.804^b)
Vp4	125 (49.2)	56 (39.7)	0.200^b)	64 (46.0)	65 (46.8)	0.904^b)
HVTT (%)	14 (5.5)	7 (5.0)	0.769^b)	7 (5.0)	6 (4.3)	0.776^b)
PVTT + HVTT (%)	29 (11.4)	17 (12.1)	0.825^b)	13 (9.4)	13 (9.4)	1.000^b)
Tumor number (≥3/<3)	111/143	48/93	0.061^b)	47/92	47/92	1.000^b)
Tumor diameter (cm) (≥5/<5)	156/98	77/64	0.188^b)	88/51	76/63	0.143^b)
Child-Pugh class (A/B or C)	136/118	89/52	0.065^b)	89/50	89/50	1.000^b)
MELD score	6.4 (3.9–8.4)	6.0 (3.0–8.3)	0.159^c)	5.6 (3.7–7.8)	5.1 (3.1–8.3)	0.812^c)
TNM (III/IV)	211/43	125/16	0.136^b)	114/25	123/16	0.128^b)
BCLC (C/D)	225/29	129/12	0.364^b)	126/13	128/11	0.669^b)

Age is presented as median (range), categorical variables as number (%), continuous variable as median (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.