Table 1 Demographic data of the study patients (TACE Trans-arterial chemo-embolization, RFA Radiofrequency ablation)

Age (years)

60 (18–78)

60 (41–73)

60 (22–78)

60 (18–73)

0.679

Gender

0.739

 Male

252 (80%)

72 (81.8%)

134 (80.2%)

46 (76.7%)

 Female

63 (20%)

16 (18.2%)

33 (19.8%)

14 (23.3%)

Body mass index (kg/m²)

28.7 (17.3–42.7)

27.9 (20.8–39.6)

28.7 (17.3–39.7)

29.1 (21–42.7)

0.541

Previous abdominal operations

98 (31.1%)

30 (34.1%)

55 (32.9%)

13 (21.7%)

0.21

Previous TACE

20 (6.3%)

6 (6.8%)

11 (6.6%)

3 (5%)

0.89

Previous RFA

5 (1.6%)

1 (1.1%)

3 (1.8%)

1 (1.7%)

0.921

Complaint

0.023

 Accidental

161 (51.1%)

47 (53.4%)

90 (53.9%)

24 (40%)

 Pain

152 (48.3%)

41 (46.6%)

77 (46.1%)

34 (56.7%)

 Mass

2 (0.6%)

0

0

2 (3.3%)

Previous antiviral therapy

33 (10.5%)

11 (12.5%)

13 (7.8%)

9 (15%)

0.225

Albumin (g/dL)

3.9 (2.1–5.3)

4 (3–5)

3.9 (2.2–5.3)

3.8 (2.1–4.7)

0.012

Bilirubin (mg/dL)

0.7 (0.3–11.2)

0.7 (0.4–2)

0.7 (20–275)

0.7 (0.4–2)

0.829

Alanine aminotransferase (IU/L)

41 (20–280)

48.5 (20–182)

42 (20–275)

35.5 (20–280)

0.023

Aspartate aminotransferase (IU/L)

49 (20–240)

50 (20–190)

49 (20–218)

48.5 (20–240)

0.944

International normalized ratio

1 (1–2)

1 (1–1.4)

1 (1–2)

1 (1–1.4)

0.741

Platelets (× 10³/mL)

146 (34–433)

141.5 (34–319)

143 (43–381)

185 (55–433)

0.006

Creatinine (mg/dL)

0.8 (0.5–2.5)

0.8 (0.5–2.5)

0.8 (0.5–2.3)

0.8 (0.5–2.3)

0.359

Alpha feto-protein (ng/ml)

30.8 (1–3000)

19.1 (1–2000)

27.9 (1.5–3000)

1000 (1.5–2000)

0.007

Child–Pugh grade

0.247

 A

308 (97.8%)

88 (100%)

162 (97%)

58 (96.7%)

 B

7 (2.2%)

0

5 (3%)

2 (3.3%)

Model for end stage liver disease (MELD score)

7 (6–17)

7 (6–13)

7 (6–16)

7 (6–17)

0.654

Hepatitis C virus

291 (92.4%)

86 (97.7%)

155 (92.8%)

50 (83.3%)

0.005

Hepatitis B virus

3 (1%)

1 (1.1%)

1 (0.6%)

1 (1.7%)

0.749 s