Validation of Kinki Criteria, a Modified Substaging System, in Patients with Intermediate Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study included 1,633 HCC patients who received first-line treatment at the Kindai University Hospital. Patients were classified into subgroups based on the Kinki criteria and the survival time was estimated for each group. There were 156 (33.3%) patients in subclass B1, 278 (59.3%) in B2, and 35 (7.4%) in B3. The median overall survival times and 95% CI for BCLC B subclasses B1, B2, and B3 were 4.3 years (3.7-4.9), 2.9 years (2.2-3.4), and 1.1 years (0.5-1.8), respectively (p < 0.001). Key Messages: Classification of HCC patients in BCLC stage B based on the Kinki criteria showed statistically significant differences in survival, indicating the performance of Kinki criteria, which takes Child-Pugh score and tumor status into account for determining treatment options for HCC in BCLC stage B.