Table 3 Multivariate Cox regression analysis of demo-clinical characteristics predictive for disease specific survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by stage

 1998–2002

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 2003–2007

0.93 (0.88–0.98)

0.003

0.89 (0.83–0.96)

0.001

0.98 (0.91–1.07)

0.71

1.11 (0.93–1.33)

 2008–2012

0.80 (0.76–0.84)

< 0.001

0.74 (0.69–0.79)

< 0.001

0.86 (0.79–0.93)

< 0.001

1.11 (0.93–1.32)

 2013–2015

0.75 (0.71–0.79)

< 0.001

0.63 (0.59–0.68)

< 0.001

0.84 (0.77–0.91)

< 0.001

1.12 (0.94–1.34)

 18–44

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 45–54

1.17 (1.08–1.26)

< 0.001

1.31 (1.16–1.49)

< 0.001

1.07 (0.95–1.20)

0.29

1.11 (0.95–1.31)

 55–64

1.14 (1.06–1.23)

< 0.001

1.31 (1.15–1.48)

< 0.001

1.01 (0.90–1.13)

0.91

1.08 (0.92–1.26)

 65–74

1.27 (1.17–1.37)

< 0.001

1.56 (1.38–1.77)

< 0.001

1.07 (0.96–1.21)

0.24

1.09 (0.93–1.28)

  ≥ 75

1.53 (1.41–1.65)

< 0.001

1.96 (1.72–2.22)

< 0.001

1.25 (1.11–1.41)

< 0.001

1.19 (1.01–1.40)

 Female vs. male

0.94 (0.91–0.97)

< 0.001

0.93 (0.89–0.98)

0.002

*

*

 White

Ref

Ref

Ref

*

 Black

1.04 (0.99–1.08)

0.07

1.06 (1.00–1.13)

0.04

1.04 (0.98–1.10)

0.23

*

 Other

0.81 (0.78–0.84)

< 0.001

0.74 (0.70–0.77)

< 0.001

0.84 (0.79–0.89)

< 0.001

*

 Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic

0.96 (0.93–0.99)

0.02

*

0.93 (0.88–0.98)

0.009

*

 Married vs. not married

0.88 (0.86–0.91)

< 0.001

0.84 (0.81–0.87)

< 0.001

0.94 (0.90–0.98)

0.003

0.92 (0.86–0.97)

 Localized

Ref

*

*

*

 Regional

1.48 (1.43–1.55)

< 0.001

*

*

*

 Distant

2.54 (2.42–2.66)

< 0.001

*

*

*

  ≤ 2

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 2–5

1.50 (1.42–1.57)

< 0.001

1.59 (1.49–1.69)

< 0.001

1.41 (1.28–1.55)

< 0.001

0.96 (0.83–1.11)

  > 5

2.51 (2.39–2.64)

< 0.001

2.81 (2.64–3.00)

< 0.001

2.39 (2.18–2.62)

< 0.001

1.18 (1.03–1.35)

 Single lesion w/o vascular invasion

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 Multiple lesions w/o vascular invasion

1.36 (1.31–1.42)

< 0.001

1.44 (1.38–1.50)

< 0.001

1.13 (0.96–1.33)

0.15

1.09 (0.97–1.22)

 Lesion(s) w/vascular invasion

1.31 (1.26–1.36)

< 0.001

1.27 (1.21–1.35)

< 0.001

1.42 (1.31–1.54)

< 0.001

1.23 (1.13–1.33)

 Yes vs. No

1.14 (1.09–1.20)

< 0.001

*

1.30 (1.22–1.38)

< 0.001

*

 No surgery performed

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

 Liver-directed therapy

0.54 (0.52–0.56)

< 0.001

0.56 (0.53–0.59)

< 0.001

0.52 (0.48–0.56)

< 0.001

0.41 (0.33–0.51)

 hepatic resection/lobectomy

0.35 (0.33–0.37)

< 0.001

0.34 (0.32–0.36)

< 0.001

0.38 (0.35–0.41)

< 0.001

0.35 (0.29–0.41)

 Hepatectomy with transplant

0.14 (0.13–0.15)

< 0.001

0.14 (0.12–0.15)

< 0.001

0.14 (0.12–0.16)

< 0.001

0.33 (0.21–0.51)