Table 1 Clinical characteristics of early hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with RFA-TACE or with SR before and after propensity score matching
Variables | Before propensity score matching | After propensity score matching | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RFA-TACE (n = 176) | SR (n = 125) | P value | RFA-TACE (n = 66) | SR (n = 66) | P value | |
No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | No. (%) | |||
Age (years) | ||||||
  < 65 | 90 (51.1) | 74 (59.2) | 0.17 | 35 (53.0) | 35 (53.0) | 1.0 |
  > 65 | 86 (48.9) | 51 (40.8) |  | 31 (47.0) | 31 (47.0) |  |
 Mean + SD | 64.0 + 10.4 | 62.2 + 10.7 |  | 63.7 + 12.6 | 64.0 + 10.3 |  |
Gender | ||||||
 Male | 109 (61.9) | 87 (69.6) | 0.17 | 47 (68.1) | 47 (68.1) | 1.0 |
 Female | 67 (38.1) | 38 (30.4) |  | 22 (31.9) | 22 (31.9) |  |
Child-Pugh | ||||||
 A | 162 (92.1) | 122 (97.6) | 0.04 | 61 (92.4) | 65( 98.5) | 0.10 |
 B | 14 (7.9) | 3 (2.4) |  | 5 (7.6) | 1 (1.5) |  |
Etiology | ||||||
 Seronegative | 17 (9.7) | 21 (16.8) | 0.008 | 8 (12.1) | 7 (10.6) | 0.40 |
 HBV | 70 (39.8) | 65 (52.0) |  | 34 (51.5) | 28 (42.4) |  |
 HCV | 82 (46.6) | 36 (28.8) |  | 22 (33.3) | 29 (43.9) |  |
 HBV + HCV | 7 (4.0) | 3 (2.4) |  | 2 (3.03) | 2 (3.03) |  |
Ishak score-fibrosis | ||||||
 1–3 | 52 (29.6) | 29 (23.2) | 0.22 | 16 (24.2) | 14 (21.2) | 0.67 |
 4–6 | 124 (70.4) | 96 (76.8) |  | 50 (75.8) | 52 (78.8) |  |
Edmonson grading | ||||||
 I and II | 137 (90.7) | 103 (83.1) | 0.06 | 50 (89.3) | 48 (85.7) | 0.56 |
 III and IV | 14 (9.3) | 21 (16.9) |  | 6 (10.7) | 8 (14.3) |  |
Diabetes | ||||||
 No | 123 (69.9) | 92 (73.6) | 0.48 | 47 (71.2) | 48 (72.7) | 0.85 |
 Yes | 53 (30.1) | 33 (26.4) |  | 19 (28.8) | 18 (27.3) |  |
CSPH | ||||||
 No | 131 (74.4) | 99 (79.2) | 0.34 | 55 (79.7) | 53 (76.8) | 0.69 |
 Yes | 45 (25.6) | 26 (20.8) |  | 14 (20.3) | 16 (23.2) |  |
No. of nodules | ||||||
 Single | 126 (71.6) | 104 (83.2) | 0.02 | 58 (87.9) | 56 (84.9) | 0.56 |
  > 2 nodules | 50 (28.4) | 21 (16.8) |  | 8 (12.1) | 10 (15.1) |  |
Creatinine (mg/dL) | ||||||
  <  1.5 | 159 (90.3) | 120 (96.0) | 0.07 | 62 (93.9) | 64 (97.0) | 0.41 |
  > 1.5 | 17 (9.7) | 5 (4.00) |  | 4 (6.1) | 2 (3.0) |  |
AFP level (ng/mL) | ||||||
  < 20 | 96 (54.6) | 85 (68.0) | 0.02 | 40 (60.6) | 42 (63.6) | 0.59 |
  > 20 | 80 (45.4) | 40 (32.0) |  | 26 (39.4) | 24 (36.4) |  |
Albumin (mg/dL) | ||||||
  > 3.0 | 166 (94.3) | 123 (98.4) | 0.07 | 61 (92.4) | 65 (98.5) | 0.05 |
  < 3.0 | 10 (5.7) | 2 (1.6) |  | 5 (7.6) | 1 (1.5) |  |
Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | ||||||
  <  1.5 | 161 (91.5) | 117 (95.1) | 0.22 | 60 (90.9) | 61 (92.4) | 0.74 |
  > 1.5 | 15 (8.5) | 6 (4.9) |  | 6 (9.1) | 5 (7.6) |  |
Prothrombin time (INR) | ||||||
  < 1.3 | 164 (93.2) | 122 (97.6) | 0.11 | 62 (93.9) | 65 (98.5) | 0.18 |
  > 1.3 | 12 (6.8) | 3 (2.4) |  | 4 (6.1) | 1 (1.5) |  |
AST (IU/L) | ||||||
  < 80 | 139 (79.0) | 106 (84.8) | 0.20 | 56 (84.9) | 55 (83.3) | 0.81 |
  > 80 | 37 (21.0) | 19 (15.2) |  | 10 (15.1) | 11 (16.7) |  |
ALT (IU/L) | ||||||
  < 80 | 140 (79.6) | 99 (79.2) | 0.94 | 54 (81.8) | 53 (80.3) | 0.81 |
  > 80 | 36 (20.5) | 26 (20.8) |  | 12 (18.2) | 13 (19.7) |  |
Size (cm) | ||||||
  < 3.0 | 129 (73.3) | 50 (40.0) | < 0.0001 | 38 (57.6) | 37 (56.1) | 0.76 |
  > 3.0 | 47 (26.7) | 75 (60.0) |  | 28 (42.4) | 29 (43.9) |  |
 Mean + SD | 24.9 + 9.0 | 32.6 + 11.5 |  | 27.5 + 10.2 | 28.3 + 10.8 |  |
BCLC stage | ||||||
 0 | 47 (26.7) | 18 (14.4) | 0.01 | 17 (25.8) | 16 (24.2) | 0.71 |
 A | 129 (73.3) | 109 (85.6) |  | 49 (74.2) | 50 (75.8) |  |