Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. The profile of risk factors associated with HCC includes not only chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and/or hepatitis C virus with subsequent cirrhosis, but also metabolic and alcoholic chronic liver diseases. While the risk of developing cancer is high in patients with cirrhosis, the aim of most screening programmes is to detect small, potentially resectable tumors. Serum alpha 1-fetoprotein lacks both sensitivity and specificity as a screening test and two-thirds of patients with small HCCs have levels below 200 ng/ml. Hepatic resection or liver transplantation at an early stage of HCC, without extrahepatic metastasis, provide complete cure of the disease.