Impact of Gender on the Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Palliative Therapy

Objectives: Sex differences are ascribed to the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, whether gender disparity also exists in the prognosis of palliative therapy is yet unclear. A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the prognostic predictors after palliative therapy of HCC, focusing on sex differences. Methods: This retrospective cohort study consisted of 2356 patients (270 women and 2086 men) with a diagnosis of HCC between 2006 and 2011. The patients received palliative care. Clinical and laboratory data were evaluated and compared. Results: Overall, the two groups did not have significant sex-related differences in prognosis for overall survival (OS) of palliative care, including transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), chemotherapy, and best supportive care (BSC). Using multivariate analysis, the following were identified as independent risk factors of survival (P<0.05): smoking, liver cirrhosis, vascular invasions, tumor size, absolute value of neutrophils, and glutamyltransferase. Transarterial chemoembolization was regarded as protective factor of OS. Conclusion: No significant differences were observed in the prognosis of male or female HCC patients after palliative care. The gender factor was not an independent predictor for OS.