Predictive value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio for prognosis in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with programmed cell death 1 inhibitors

Table 9 Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of factors influencing progression-free survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors

Variable	Univariate		Multivariate
	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value
BCLC stage (C vs B)	1.824 (1.254-2.652)	0.002	1.512 (1.021-2.239)	0.040
Child-Pugh grade (B vs A)	1.521 (1.088-2.124)	0.014	1.281 (0.904-1.814)	0.165
Maximum tumor diameter (per 1 cm increase)	1.283 (1.163-1.414)	< 0.001	1.191 (1.074-1.321)	0.001
Macrovascular invasion (yes vs no)	1.654 (1.208-2.254)	0.002	1.322 (0.952-1.834)	0.096
Extrahepatic spread (yes vs no)	1.584 (1.142-2.194)	0.006	1.263 (0.894-1.783)	0.188
AFP (≥ 400 ng/mL vs < 400 ng/mL)	1.962 (1.432-2.688)	< 0.001	1.623 (1.164-2.263)	0.004
NLR (high vs low)	2.451 (1.782-3.371)	< 0.001	2.084 (1.494-2.904)	< 0.001
AST (≥ 40 U/L vs < 40 U/L)	1.421 (1.039-1.943)	0.028	1.247 (0.902-1.725)	0.184
Total bilirubin (≥ 20 μmol/L vs < 20 μmol/L)	1.378 (1.008-1.883)	0.045	1.176 (0.851-1.625)	0.325
Albumin (≥ 35 g/L vs < 35 g/L)	0.721 (0.526-0.988)	0.042	0.814 (0.587-1.128)	0.216

BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AFP: Alpha fetoprotein; NLR: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; HR: Hazard ratio; CI: Confidence interval.