AIM:To study the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial three-segment chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: According to the anatomy of vessels, the tumor capillary networks, muscular arterioles and feeding arteries were successively occluded using lipiodol ultra-fluid (LUF), sinobufagin microsphere (SBMs) and particles of gelatin sponge (PGS). In this series of 80 cases, therapeutic effects were evaluated in 76 cases.RESULTS: There were 22 cases (28.9%) with partial response and 41 (53.9%) with minor response in the 76 evaluated patients. The 6-month, 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival rates were 97.4%, 86.8%, 46.1% and 27.6% respectively.CONCLUSION: This regimen was a rational chemoembolization method for HCC patients.