Rapidly declining skeletal muscle mass predicts poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transcatheter intra-arterial therapies

Table 4 Univariate and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model for overall survival

Variables	Univariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
Variables	HR (95% CI)	P value	HR (95% CI)	P value
Age, years, ≥70 vs. <70	0.857 (0.539–1.362)	0.513
Sex, men vs. women	1.354 (0.814–2.255)	0.243
BMI, kg/m², ≥25.0 vs. <25.0	0.731 (0.444–1.204)	0.218
Baseline L3 SMI, low SMI vs. high SMI	1.405 (0.861–2.293)	0.174
ΔL3 SMI, SML vs. non-SML	1.750 (1.093–2.800)	0.020	1.675 (1.031–2.721)	0.037
ALT, U/L, ≥30 vs. <30	1.046 (0.650–1.682)	0.854
Total bilirubin, mg/dL, ≥1.5 vs. <1.5	1.690 (1.002–2.851)	0.049	1.747 (0.897–3.403)	0.101
Albumin, g/dL, ≥3.5 vs. <3.5	0.595 (0.361–0.982)	0.042	0.697 (0.386–1.259)	0.231
Platelet count, ×10⁴/μL, ≥10.0 vs. <10.0	0.971 (0.607–1.552)	0.902
Child-Pugh classification, A vs. B	0.638 (0.395–1.030)	0.066
AFP, ng/mL, ≥20 vs. <20	2.618 (1.615–4.241)	< 0.001	2.550 (1.440–4.515)	0.001
TNM stage, I + II vs. III + IV	0.785 (0.474–1.300)	0.347
Maximum tumor diameter, mm, ≥30 vs. <30	1.936 (1.195–3.135)	0.007	1.925 (1.166–3.179)	0.010
Number of tumors, solitary vs. multiple	0.961 (0.572–1.614)	0.880
Treatment sessions between CT exams, sessions, 1 vs. ≥ 2	0.696 (0.433–1.119)	0.135
mRECIST assessment, non-PD vs. PD	0.444 (0.277–0.712)	0.001	0.653 (0.392–1.088)	0.102
BCAA supplementation, presence vs. absence	1.614 (0.898–2.900)	0.110

HR hazard ratio, CI confidence interval, SML skeletal muscle loss, BMI body mass index, L3 SMI skeletal muscle index at third lumber vertebral level, ΔL3 SMI rate of change of skeletal muscle mass over 6 months, SML skeletal muscle loss, ALT alanine aminotransferase, AFP alpha-fetoprotein, CT computed tomography, mRECIST Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, PD progressive disease, BCAA branched-chain amino acid

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