Cases of borderline NASH had no other identifiable causes of CLD. Patients with a pathologic diagnosis of definitive and borderline NASH were grouped together as having HCC from NASH. Patients
with definite NASH noted on histopathology and active HCV infection were categorized in the NASH group. T tumor staging was defined according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition guidelines.37 PASW software (version 18; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) was used to perform statistical analyses. Baseline characteristics of the sample were characterized by numbers and corresponding percentages and median and interquartile ranges for continuous variables. The normality of continuous variables was examined, and all between-group differences of non-normally distributed continuous variables were tested using nonparametric selleckchem statistics. Between-group analyses were performed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. All tests were two-tailed, with a significant P value defined as <0.05. RFS was defined as the duration from date of definitive curative treatment to date of disease recurrence. Patients without disease recurrence were censored at date of last clinical
follow-up. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the duration from date of definitive curative treatment to date of last follow-up or death. Continuous variables were categorized based on Selleck GSK1120212 clinical meaningful differences,
so that between-group differences could be examined using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and the log-rank test. Multivariable stepwise Cox regression analyses were performed to test potential predictors of survival in patients with NASH and HCV/ALD. The predictors were determined using significant between-group differences found using Kaplan-Meier analyses and the log-rank test. Between-group differences in demographic and disease-specific variables that resulted in a value of P < 0.10 were included in the Cox regression models. Cox regression analyses were performed to assess predictors of survival with the use of hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The overall model as well Thymidine kinase as independent predictors of survival were characterized using a P value of <0.05. A total of 321 patients underwent curative treatment of HCC from 2000 from 2010; 18 had incomplete pathologic data and were excluded from this study. Of the remaining 303 patients, 52 (17.2%) had definitive or borderline NASH and 162 (53.5%) had active HCV and/or ALD. These 214 patients comprised the study cohort. The remaining patients either had no evidence of background liver disease or had other etiologies of CLD not including HCV, ALD, or NASH. Four of fifty-two NASH patients had “borderline” steatohepatitis without any other identifiable cause of CLD. Nine of fifty-two NASH patients had coexistent active HCV infection.