Table 1 Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics of the patients (N = 132)

Age at start (year)

53 ± 12.1/53 [43–61]

 men

112 (84.8%)

 women

20 (15.2%)

 Hepatitis B

109 (82.6%)

 Hepatitis C

6 (4.5%)

 Others

17 (12.9%)

 A

124 (93.9%)

 B

8 (6.1%)

Performance status

 ECOG 0

85 (64.4%)

 ECOG 1

47 (35.6%)

 A

10 (7.6%)

 B

75 (56.8%)

 C

47 (35.6%)

 Tumor size (cm)

8.0 ± 3.7/7.1 [5.2–9.8]

 No. of HCC nodules

2.1 ± 1.9/1 [1–2.25]

 AFP (ng/dl)

1188.4 ± 2774.7/230.8 [8.7–7713.5]

 Leukocyte (×10E9/L)

5.9 ± 2.7/5.3 [4.2–6.9]

 Hemoglobin (g/L)

136.5 ± 20.6/138.0 [126.0–192.5]

 Platelets (×10E9/L)

150.1 ± 89.3/134.0 [91.0–192.3]

 International normalized ratio

1.16 ± 0.13/1.10 [1.02–1.17]

 Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)

45.6 ± 32.3/37 [24.5–57.0]

 Aspartate aminotransferase (U/L)

53.1 ± 32.7/40.5 [30–69.5]

 Albumin (g/L)

39.7 ± 5.3/39.8 [36.6–42.5]

 Total bilirubin (μmol/L)

16.6 ± 6.8/15.3 [11.6–19.6]

 Urea nitrogen (mmol/L)

5.2 ± 1.7/4.8 [4.2–6]

 Serum creatinine (umol/L)

84.2 ± 15.9/82.5 [73.8–95.0]