During the past 4 1/2 years, we have performed hepatic resection on 225 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These patients included 171 men and 54 women, whose ages ranged from 29 to 84 years with an average of 60 years. Underlying cirrhosis of the liver was found in 67% of the patients and chronic hepatitis in 27%. Patients undergoing hepatic resection were classified into five groups according to curability as follows: Group A, resection of the tumor-bearing segment and one additional segment; Group B, complete resection of the tumor with more than 1.0 cm free surgical margin; Group C, complete resection of the tumor with less than 1.0 cm free surgical margin; Group D, incomplete resection of the tumor; Group E, surgical approach for advanced HCC with tumor thrombi in the main trunk or the first branch of the portal vein and/or the inferior vena cava, with multiple daughter nodules in both lobes and with tumor recurrence. The number of patients in Groups A, B, C, D, and E was 12 (5%), 83 (37%), 58 (26%), 14 (6%) and 58, (26%), respectively. There were 4 deaths (2.4%) among the 167 patients in Groups A to D within 30 days after operation and 12 deaths (20.7%) in Group E. The 3-year survival rate of Groups A, B, C, D, and E was 100%, 74%, 21%, 0%, and 35%, respectively.