title: Comparison of long-term survival of patients with solitary large hepatocellular carcinoma of BCLC stage A after liver resection or transarterial chemoembolization: a propensity score analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcome of patients with a solitary large (> 5 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A who received liver resection (LR) or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study examined 128 patients treated by LR and 90 treated by TACE. To reduce bias in patient selection, we conducted propensity score analysis in the present study and 54 pairs of patients after propensity score matching were generated, their long-term survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Independent predictors of survival were identified by multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term survival was significantly better for the LR group by log-rank test (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, tumor size, serum ALT level and TACE independently predicted survival. Despite similar baseline characteristics after propensity score matching, LR group still had significantly better survival (1 year, 68.5 vs. 55.0%; 3 years, 47.6 vs. 21.2%; 5 years, 41.3 vs. 18.5%; P = 0.007) than TACE group. The LR and TACE groups had comparable 30- and 90-day post-treatment mortality. Multivariate analysis showed that serum ALT level, serum AFP level and TACE independently predicted survival by multivariate analysis after propensity score matching.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our propensity-score-matched study suggested that LR provided significantly better long-term survival than TACE for a solitary large HCC of the BCLC stage A, regardless of tumor size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Liang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Chong
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Le-Qun
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D057216:Propensity Score; D016896:Treatment Outcome