Table 2 Baseline patient demographic and clinical characteristics of 480 patients with intermediate-stage HCC who underwent TACE

Age (years), mean ± standard deviation

62 ± 11

Male/female, n (%)

358/112 (75/25)

Alcohol consumption, n (%)

80 (17)

Hepatitis B carrier, n (%)

261 (54)

Hepatitis C carrier, n (%)

99 (21)

Diabetes mellitus, n (%)

92 (19)

Size of the largest lesion

 < 3 cm, n (%)

66 (14)

 3–5 cm, n (%)

125 (26)

 > 5 cm, n (%)

289 (60)

Tumor number

 Single, n (%)

136 (28)

 2–5, n (%)

264 (55)

  > 5, n (%)

80 (17)

Serum AFP level ≤ 200 ng/mL, n (%)

302 (63)

Ascites, n (%)

48 (10)

Alanine transaminase (U/L), median (IQR)

40 (27–61)

Albumin (g/dl), median (IQR)

3.4 (3.0–3.8)

Total bilirubin (mg/dL), median (IQR)

0.83 (0.54–1.39)

Platelet count (× 10³/mm³), median (IQR)

122 (76–201)

Child–Pugh class (A/B), n (%)

317/163 (66/34)

ALBI grade, n (%)

 1

123 (26)

 2

305 (63)

 3

52 (11)

Treatment response to initial TACE

 CR/PR/SD/PD, n (%)

74/195/118/93

(15/41/25/19)

ALBI-TAE model

 A (Low risk)

44 (9)

 B (Intermediate risk)

216 (45)

 C (High risk)

164 (34)

 D (Very high risk)

56 (12)