Objective : To outline the progress of studies on recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at author's institution. Methods : Clinical and experimental studies on recurrence and metastasis of HCC in the recent years are highlighted. Results : Surgical resection has played an important role in improving prognosis of HCC, the 5-year survival were 63.4% for small HCC resection (n=806), 39.6% for large HCC resection (n=1061), 64.7% for cytoreduction (using hepatic artery cannulation and ligation) and sequential resection of unresectable HCC (n=93), and 56.0% for cytoreduction using transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and followed by resection (n=65). Unfortunately, the 5-year recurrent rate after curative resection of HCC was as high as 61.5%, which was mainly a result of intrahepatic "metastasis" and multicentric origin of HCC. In clinical aspect, re-resection of subclinical recurrence yielded 56% of 5-year survival (n=202); prevention of recurrence by postoperative hepatic regional chemotherapy (n=105) have decreased 3-year recurrent rate from 33% to 18%. In experimental aspect, metastatic human HCC model in nude mice (LCI-D20) and HCC cell line with metastatic potential (MHCC97) have been established. Studies on HCC invasiveness in the molecular level revealed similar results that happened in other solid cancers, and small HCC showed slightly better biological characteristics as compared with large HCC. Studies on prognostic markers revealed that microvessel density (MVD) was negatively correlated with 5-year survival of small HCC, other serum markers are of potential clinical implication. Experimental interventions using antisense H-ras, BB94, heparin, interferon as well as antiangiogenic agents (TNP470, suramin, CAI, gene transfer of dominant-negative flk-1 mutant, antisense VEGF, endostatin, etc.) have been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth and lung metastasis in LCI-D20 model. Conclusion : Recurrence and metastasis remain the major target to be studied for further improve prognosis of HCC, studies should be conducted both in clinical and experimental aspects. Molecular events of HCC invasiveness deserved to be intensively studied. Antiangiogenesis will be one of the important approach for intervention.