Table 2 Baseline patient characteristics in phase II study

No. of patients

36

100

Gender

Male

31

86.1

Female

5

13.9

Age, years

Median

56

Range

26-77

ECOG performance status

0

24

66.7

1

12

33.3

Hepatitis status

Hepatitis B

29

80.5

Hepatitis C

1

2.8

Non-B non-C

6

16.7

Baseline AFP > 10 μg/l

Yes

25

69.4

No

11

30.6

Tumour Burden

BCLC Stage B

28

  BCLC stage C

8

  Macroscopic vascular invasion

24

66.7

Extrahepatic disease

21

58.3

Prior therapy for HCC of any forms

29

80.6

Blood parameters (median, range):

Total bilirubin

16 (5–34) umol/l

Albumin

39. (32–48) g/l

Alanine transaminase

40 (18–140) iu/l

Alkaline phosphatase

108 (52–434) iu/l

AFP

82 (1–118712) ug/l

INR

1.06 (0.89-1.26)

Creatinine

82 (44–136) umol/l

Glucose

5.4 (4.0-8.5) mmol/l

Triglyceride

0.9 (0.5-2.0) mmol/l

LDL cholesterol

2.65 (1.6-7.3) mmol/l

HDL cholesterol

1.15 (0.7-2.5) mmol/l

Total cholesterol

4.45 (3.0-8.9) mmol/l

Prior systemic therapy

1 line

11

30.5

2 lines

1

2.8

3 lines

1

2.8

Prior local +/− regional therapy

Surgery

23

63.9

*Local ablation

4

11.0

Transarterial therapy

20

55.5