Transarterial chemoembolization outcomes for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma vs sorafenib and best supportive care in a sub-Saharan African cohort

Table 1 Demographic and clinical features of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C or D disease treated with transarterial chemoembolization, sorafenib, or best supportive care, n (%)/median (interquartile range)

Feature	TACE (n = 54)	Sorafenib (n = 40)	BSC (n = 381)	P value
Demographics
Gender				0.3740
Female	16 (29.6)	7 (17.5)	101 (26.5)
Male	38 (70.4)	33 (82.5)	280 (73.5)
Age (years)	54.5 (44, 69)	42.5 (36, 57.25)	48 (37.75, 61)	0.0009
Symptoms
Pain	41 (75.9)	32 (80.0)	297 (78.0)	0.8960
Weight loss	33 (61.1)	22 (55.0)	247 (64.8)	0.4190
GI bleeding	0 (0.0)	1 (2.5)	28 (7.3)	0.0440
Fever	2 (3.7)	2 (5.0)	23 (6.0)	0.9310
Signs on presentation
BMI (kg/m2)	21.65 (19.05, 26.25)	22.6 (20.8, 24.2)	22.1 (20.1, 25.5)	0.8860
Jaundice	4 (7.4)	1 (2.5)	81 (21.3)	0.0005
Ascites	9 (16.7)	9 (22.5)	144 (37.8)	0.0019
Palpable mass	23 (42.6)	15 (37.5)	119 (31.2)	0.2050
Hepatomegaly	17 (31.5)	28 (70.0)	204 (53.5)	0.0006
Comorbidities
HIV	7 (13.0)	5 (12.5)	58 (15.2)	0.9130
HBV	32 (59.3)	26 (65.0)	222 (58.3)	0.7540
HCV	6 (11.1)	1 (2.5)	14 (3.7)	0.0495
Obesity	1 (1.9)	0 (0.0)	6 (1.6)	1.0000
Habits
Smoker	11 (20.4)	13 (32.5)	86 (22.6)	0.3500
Drinker	20 (37.0)	13 (32.5)	115 (30.2)	0.5480
Staging/scoring
CTP grade				< 0.0001
A	36 (66.7)	31 (77.5)	124 (32.9)
B	15 (27.8)	8 (20.0)	163 (43.2)
C	3 (5.6)	1 (2.5)	90 (23.9)
MELD-Na score	10.5 (8, 12)	9 (7.75, 13)	14 (10, 20)	< 0.0001
BCLC stage				0.0005
C	49 (90.7)	38 (95.0)	213 (55.9)
D	5 (9.3)	2 (5.0)	168 (44.1)
ECOG-PS				0.0005
0	2 (3.8)	0 (0.0)	11 (3.0)
1	37 (69.8)	22 (55.0)	103 (27.7)
2	13 (24.5)	16 (40.0)	117 (31.5)
3	1 (1.9)	2 (5.0)	113 (30.4)
4	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	28 (7.5)
HBV VL (× 103)	1 (0, 455)	3 (1, 3983)	93 (2, 1278)	0.0806
WBC (cells/nL)	6.65 (5.092, 8.97)	7.95 (5.815, 11.788)	8.4 (6.09, 11.45)	0.0024
Platelet count (U/mL)	228.5 (178.75, 334.25)	316 (192, 488.5)	263 (169.5, 396)	0.0376
INR	1.18 (1.11, 1.37)	1.19 (1.118, 1.355)	1.31 (1.16, 1.52)	0.0005
Sodium (mEq/L)	137 (134.25, 139)	138.5 (136.75, 140)	135 (132, 138)	< 0.0001
Urea (mmol/L)	4.5 (3.7, 6.05)	4.5 (3.675, 5.45)	4.9 (3.5, 7.1)	0.3500
Creatinine (mmol/L)	71 (58, 84.75)	70.5 (61, 80)	68.5 (55, 84)	0.9070
Albumin (g/L)	38 (32, 41)	36 (35, 42)	31 (26, 36)	< 0.0001
T-bilirubin (mmol/L)	15 (9, 21.75)	10.5 (8, 15.5)	27 (14, 53)	< 0.0001
C-bilirubin (mmol/L)	8 (5, 14)	5 (4, 7.25)	15 (8, 42)	< 0.0001
ALT (U/L)	51 (26.25, 82.75)	44 (24.5, 71.5)	58 (34, 97.5)	0.0521
AST (U/L)	83 (51, 186)	71 (39.75, 190)	149 (80.5, 253.5)	< 0.0001
ALP (U/L)	166 (135.5, 295.75)	225 (139.75, 326.5)	282 (175, 479.5)	< 0.0001
GGT (U/L)	257 (117.25, 500.75)	337.5 (176.25, 418.5)	339 (174.25, 564.75)	0.1660
CEA (U/L)	3.1 (2, 4.3)	1.9 (1.1, 3.55)	2.75 (1.9, 5.575)	0.3960
CA19.9 (U/L)	67 (16, 164.5)	56 (31.3, 237.05)	74 (17.5, 180.5)	0.7900
AFP (mg/L)	1.5 (0.1, 20.1)	6.7 (0.1, 83.7)	5.8 (0.2, 101.0)	0.1220
Imaging
Cirrhosis present				0.2500
Unknown/not recorded	1 (1.9)	5 (12.5)	38 (10.1)
No	23 (43.4)	17 (42.5)	166 (44.0)
Yes	29 (54.7)	18 (45.0)	173 (45.9)
Degree of differentiation				0.0016
Not assessed, not reported	1 (16.7)	16 (94.1)	61 (81.3)
Poorly	0 (0.0)	1 (5.9)	6 (8.0)
Moderately	2 (33.3)	0 (0.0)	5 (6.7)
Well	3 (50.0)	0 (0.0)	3 (4.0)
PVI	20 (37.7)	9 (22.5)	151 (39.8)	0.1060
PVI with occlusion	19 (35.8)	7 (17.5)	145 (38.3)	0.0290
Focal				0.0170
Multi-focal	31 (59.6)	18 (52.9)	230 (72.8)
Single-focal	21 (40.4)	16 (47.1)	86 (27.2)
Lung metastasis	4 (7.4)	3 (7.5)	85 (22.3)	0.0033

GI: Gastrointestinal; BMI: Body mass index; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; CTP: Child-Turcotte-Pugh; MELD-Na: Model of end-stage liver disease-sodium; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; ECOG-PS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status; VL: Viral load; WBC: White cell count; INR: International normalized ratio; C-bilirubin: Conjugated bilirubin; T-bilirubin: Total bilirubin; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; CA19.9: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; PVI: Portal vein infiltration; TACE: Transarterial chemoembolization; BSC: Best supportive care.