IFNG and hepatocellular carcinoma: Based on the striking positive association between IFN-γ producing NK cell proportion at 1 month after curative treatment and HCC recurrence, further multivariate analysis revealed that BCLC stage B (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.412, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.026–11.355; P = 0.045) and < 45% IFN-γ producing NK cell proportion at 1 month after treatment (HR = 6.934, 95% CI 2.100–22.897; P = 0.001) independently predicted an increased risk of HCC recurrence (Table 3).