BACKGROUND The disordered metabolism of liver function in liver cancer patients can affect postoperative survival after liver transplantation. We assessed whether the levels of various chemicals in liver metabolism prior to receiving a liver transplant were prognostic factors and metabolism markers in predicting survival rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seventy-seven patients received a donor liver transplant between June 2012 and April 2016. The basic level of fasting serum GLU, Crea, TBil, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, ApoA1, ApoB100, INR, and MELD scores of 77 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Each patient's survival was monitored to evaluate prognosis and long-term survival. RESULTS The overall survival rates of all patients post-transplant at 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-month follow-up were 90.9%, 79.2%, 68.8%, and 64.9% respectively. Fasting serum levels of GLU (P=0.004), HDL (P=0.010), LDL (P=0.008), ApoA1 (P=0.028), and MELD scores (P=0.013) prior to liver transplantation were closely associated with the cumulative survival post-transplant in univariate analyses. Controlled fasting GLU of ≤5.12 mmol/L (P=0.019), LDL of ≤2.62 mmol/L (P=0.031), and MELD scores of ≤9 (P=0.013) before LT were significantly and independently associated with increased cumulative survival in the multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS Decreased fasting serum GLU, LDL, and MELD scores as independent risk factors prior to liver transplantation markedly increase cumulative survival.