A proposed modification for the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system: Adding bile duct tumor thrombus status in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

•This study confirmed the validity of BCLC staging system in a Chinese HCC cohort.•This study revealed possible modifications of BCLC staging system might be required for HCC patients with BDTT.•The modified BCLC proved to be superior to the original BCLC in distinguishing various subgroups at each disease stage.