Result of hepatic resection in 150 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) harboring up to three lesions smaller than 3cm in diameter (PEI candidates) and 144 patients with multiple lesions (TAE candidates) was studied. In PEI candidates, associated liver diseases were liver cirrhosis in 108 patients (72%) and chronic hepatitis in 41 (27.3%). Survival rates at 1-, 3- and 5-years were 98.0%, 83.5% and 61.4%, respectively. Prognosis of the patients with a well-differentiated solitary lesion was particularly good. In TAE candidates, 1-, 3- and 5-years survival rates were 98.5%, 57.8% and 33.7%, respectively. Half of the patients were considered to have multicentric disease, and their prognosis was better than that with intrahepatic metastases. Surgical resection is recommended as a primary treatment of HCC when the patients are feasible for surgery even if nonsurgical treatments are possible. Further study is required to establish the proper indication for nonsurgical procedures as a primary treatment of HCC in patients who are candidates of surgery.