title: Survival Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comparison Between Young Patients and Aged Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis between younger and aged patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the outcome of 451 HCC patients underwent liver resection, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation, respectively. Then risk factors for aged and younger patients' survival were evaluated by multivariate analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients who were older than 55 years old were defined as the older group. The overall survival for aged patients was significantly worse than those younger patients. The younger patients had similar liver functional reserve but more aggressive tumor factors than aged patients. Cox regression analysis showed that the elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (Wald χ2 = 3.963, P = 0.047, hazard ratio [HR] =1.453, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.006-2.098), lower albumin (Wald χ2 = 12.213, P < 0.001, HR = 1.982, 95% CI: 1.351-2.910), tumor size (Wald χ2 = 8.179, P = 0.004, HR = 1.841, 95% CI: 1.212-2.797), and higher alpha-fetoprotein level (Wald χ2 = 4.044, P = 0.044, HR = 1.465, 95% CI: 1.010-2.126) were independent prognostic factors for aged patients, while only elevated levels of AST (Wald χ2 = 14.491, P < 0.001, HR = 2.285, 95% CI: 1.493-3.496) and tumor size (Wald χ2 = 21.662, P < 0.001, HR = 2.928, 95% CI: 1.863-4.604) were independent prognostic factors for younger patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age is a risk factor to determine the prognosis of patients with HCC. Aged patients who have good liver functional reserve are still encouraged to receive curative therapy.
authors.forename: Xin-Sen
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Run-Chen
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Yan-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhi-Xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling-Qiang
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Rui-Tao
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shannxi 710061, China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult