One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were treated by chemoembolization using ethiodized oil (Lipiodol), anticancer agents. Ninety patients had concomitant chronic liver disease. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed by US, contrast enhanced CT, fine needle biopsy and alpha-feto-protein level. Admission criteria were as follows: tumor confined to the liver with or without hilar nodal involvement, Child class A or B, white blood cell count above 2.000/mmc and platelet count above 75,000/mmc. All the patients underwent angiographic chemoembolization with Lipiodol and anticancer agents. In 98 patients we performed transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (TAE) with Gelfoam or for Ivalon sponge. In 16 patients TAE was not performed because of portal thrombosis (7 cases) or technical reasons (9 cases). Mitomycin was used in 40 patients and dihydroxyanthracenedione (DADH) in 58 patients. In the TAE group 83 patients were Child A and 15 Child B. In 27 patients HCC was mononodular whereas in 71 it was multinodular. In 41 patients the tumor was more than 5 cm in diameter (in multinodular tumors only the larger lesion was taken into account). In 56 patients chemoembolization plus TAE was repeated. Seven patients died within one month after treatment: two from myocardial infarction, two from liver failure, two from digestive haemorrhage and one from necrotizing pancreatitis. Long-term survival rates were investigated in relation to prognostic factors: anti-cancer agent, number of nodes, tumor size and Child stage using Kaplan-Meier method. Survival rate at 12, 24 and 36 months are 64%, 38%, and 30% respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)