Table 2 Univariate Cox regression analysis of demo-clinical characteristics predictive for survival outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Year of diagnosis

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

 1988–1992

Ref

Ref

 1993–1997

0.89 (0.85–0.93)

< 0.001

0.86 (0.82–0.91)

< 0.001

 1998–2002

0.71 (0.68–0.74)

< 0.001

0.68 (0.65–0.71)

< 0.001

 2003–2007

0.59 (0.56–0.61)

< 0.001

0.55 (0.52–0.57)

< 0.001

 2008–2012

0.52 (0.50–0.54)

< 0.001

0.48 (0.46–0.50)

< 0.001

 2013–2015

0.46 (0.44–0.48)

< 0.001

0.42 (0.41–0.44)

< 0.001

Age in groups (years)

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

 18–44

Ref

Ref

 45–54

1.05 (1.00–1.09)

0.03

0.99 (0.95–1.04)

0.75

 55–64

1.03 (0.98–1.07)

0.23

0.97 (0.92–1.01)

0.11

 65–74

1.19 (1.14–1.24)

< 0.001

1.13 (1.08–1.18)

< 0.001

  ≥ 75

1.60 (1.53–1.67)

< 0.001

1.50 (1.44–1.58)

< 0.001

 Female vs. male

0.94 (0.92–0.96)

< 0.001

0.94 (0.92–0.96)

< 0.001

 White

Ref

Ref

 Black

1.14 (1.12–1.17)

< 0.001

1.14 (1.11–1.16)

< 0.001

 Other

0.87 (0.85–0.89)

< 0.001

0.87 (0.85–0.89)

< 0.001

 Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic

1.00 (0.98–1.02)

0.88

0.98 (0.96–1.00)

0.10

 Married vs. not married

0.83 (0.82–0.84)

< 0.001

0.85 (0.83–0.86)

< 0.001

SEER stage

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

 Localized

Ref

Ref

 Regional

1.98 (1.95–2.02)

< 0.001

2.18 (2,14–2.23)

< 0.001

 Distant

3.58 (3.50–3.66)

< 0.001

4.08 (3.98–4.18)

< 0.001

Tumor size (cm)

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

  ≤ 2

Ref

Ref

 2–5

1.56 (1.51–1.61)

< 0.001

1.72 (1.65–1.79)

< 0.001

  > 5

3.10 (3.00–3.20)

< 0.001

3.76 (3.62–3.91)

< 0.001

Tumor extent

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

 Single lesion w/o vascular invasion

Ref

Ref

 Multiple lesions w/o vascular invasion

1.35 (1.31–1.39)

< 0.001

1.45 (1.40–1.50)

< 0.001

 Lesion(s) w/vascular invasion

2.11 (2.06–2.15)

< 0.001

2.36 (2.31–2.42)

< 0.001

Lymph node involvement

 Yes vs. No

2.26 (2.19–2.33)

< 0.001

2.44 (2.36–2.52)

< 0.001

Surgery

< 0.001*

< 0.001*

 No surgery performed

Ref

Ref

 Liver-directed therapy

0.38 (0.37–0.39)

< 0.001

0.34 (0.33–0.36)

< 0.001

 hepatic resection/lobectomy

0.30 (0.29–0.32)

< 0.001

0.29 (0.28–0.30)

< 0.001

 Hepatectomy with transplant

0.14 (0.14–0.15)

< 0.001

0.09 (0.09–0.10)

< 0.001