We observed a significant correlation between HCIPS and PFS in male patients, those aged ≥ 60 years, those with tumor size ≥ 5 cm, those without liver cirrhosis, those with BCLC stage C, all TNM stages, all CEA groups, all AFP groups, and those with CA199 < 22.64 U/L (all P < 0.05) (Fig. 5). Here, AFP is linked to cirrhosis of liver.