Objective To investigate the effects of dasatinib (a multi-target kinase inhibitor) on the proliferation, adhesion and migration ability of SK-Hep-1 human hepatocellular cancer cells and the underlying mechanism. Methods SK-Hep-1, Bel-7402, SNU-423, SNU-387 and Huh-7 hepatocellular cancer cells were treated with dasatinib. Then MTT assay was used to detect the effect of dasatinib on the survival and proliferation of cancer cells, and the sensitive cells were obtained. SK-Hep-1 cells were cultured and treated with (0.5, 1, 2) μmol/L dasatinib, and the control group was treated with DMSO. Slow aggregation assay and dissociation assay were used to detect the effects of dasatinib on the adhesion ability of SK-Hep-1 cells. Wound healing assay was applied to observe the effect of dasatinib on the migration ability of the cancer cells. Western blotting was performed to detect the effect of dasatinib on the expression of E-cadherin. Results MTT assay showed that the proliferation of the liver cancer cells was obviously inhibited by dasatinib and SK-Hep-1 was the most sensitive cells to dasatinib. Dasatinib promoted the aggregation of SK-Hep-1 cells, inhibited cell dissociation and migration, and up-regulated E-cadherin expression. Conclusion Dasatinib can promote the aggregation and adhesion of SK-Hep-1 cells, and inhibit cell proliferation, dissociation and migration via up-regulating E-cadherin expression.