AFP and neoplasm: In the training cohort, patients with or without early TACE refractoriness showed no difference in baseline characteristics except BCLC stage (P=0.043), AFP level (P=0.005), up-to-seven criteria (P<0.001), tumor distribution (P<0.001), number of tumors (P=0.001) the size of the largest tumor (P=0.035) and tumor enhancement pattern (P=0.005).