ALB and hepatocellular carcinoma: Sorafenib is the only recommended treatment for patients with BCLC stage C HCC.[7,14] Although sorafenib promotes OS in HCC patients with MVI and/or EHS, the clinical prognosis is still unsatisfactory.[8] In addition, sorafenib in combination with TACE or locoregional therapies may increase OS in patients with advanced HCC.[17,18,22,24] Our study demonstrated that primary tumor size ≥5 cm, serum AFP ≥200, and serum albumin <3.5 were significantly associated with increased mortality.