Effects of a 24-week course of interferon-α therapy after curative treatment of hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Patient characteristics

	IFN group(n = 42)	Non-IFN group(n = 42)	P
Median age in years (range)	621 (45-69)	631 (40-69)	NS
Gender (male/female)	36/6	29/13	NS
Alb (g/dL)	3.91	3.91	NS
PLT (× 10000/μL)	121	11.51	NS
ICG R-15 (%)	171	181	NS
CH or Child A/B	35/7	35/7	NS
Size of main tumor (mm)	201 (10-50)	151 (10-50)	NS
AFP (ng/mL)	261	31.41	NS
No. of HCC (single/two or three)	30/12	36/6	NS
Stage (I/II or III)	14/28	23/19	NS
Treatment of HCC (medical/surgical)	18/24	20/22	NS

IFN: interferon; Alb: albumin; PLT: platelet; ICG-R15: indocyanine green retention at 15 min; CH: chronic hepatitis; AFP: alpha-fetoprotein; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma.

¹Median.

Table 2 Factors associated with second recurrence

Variables	Univariate analysis			Multivariate analysis
	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P
SVR	0.454	0.246-0.728	0.0005	0.457	0.243-0.757	0.0015
PLT > 100000/μ	0.553	0.373-0.814	0.003	0.694	0.445-1.069	0.0973
ICG R-15 (< 20%)	0.667	0.450-0.965	0.032	0.685	0.447-1.035	0.0721

Cox's proportional hazards model was used.

Table 3 Factors associated with survival

Variables	Univariate analysis			Multivariate analysis
	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P	Hazard ratio	95% CI	P
SVR	0.409	0.096-0.922	0.028	0.329	0.076-0.761	0.006
Child-Pugh class A	0.521	0.299-0.922	0.027	0.463	0.238-0.875	0.019
ICG R-15 (< 20%)	0.551	0.286-0.968	0.038	0.724	0.351-1.429	0.350

Cox's proportional hazards model was used.