AIM:To investigate the relationship between transcatheterarterial embolization (TAE) and pulmonary metastasis insubjects with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:A total of 287 patients with HCC followed upfor more than 1 week were included.102 patients underwenttranscatheter arterial embolization (TAE group) and 185received conservative treatment (control group).Thepatients’ chest x-rays and chest CT scans were examinedfor pulmonary metastasis.RESULTS:Patients with TAE had a median survival of 19.3months while that of the control group was only 10.0 months(P<0.05).Pulmonary metastasis occurred in 14 (13.7 %)patients in the TAE group and 14 (7.6 %) patients in thecontrol group,there was no significant difference (P>0.05).The 1-year,2-year and 5-year cumulative incidence ofpulmonary metastasis was 11.8 %,17.6 % and 24.0 % inthe TAE group and 7.0 %,13.0 % and 21.7 % in the controlgroup,respectively (P>0.05).On the univariate analysis,tumor size,abnormal serum alanine aminotransferase levelsand heterogeneity on sonography were significantlyassociated with pulmonary metastasis.However,on themultivariate analysis,only tumor size was significantlypredictive of pulmonary metastasis.CONCLUSION:TAE is effective on prolonging survival ofpatients with HCC.It does not significantly increase the riskof pulmonary metastasis.Tumor size is the only significantpredictive factor associated with lung metastasis. AIM: To investigate the relationship between transcatheterarterial embolization (TAE) and pulmonary metastasis insubjects with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A total of 287 patients with HCC followed up for more than 1 week were included.102 patients underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE group) Thepatients’ chest x-rays and chest CT scans were examinedfor pulmonary metastasis .RESULTS: Patients with TAE had a median survival of 19.3months while that of the control group was only only 10.0 months (P <0.05 ). Pulmonary metastasis occurred in 14 (13.7%) patients in the TAE group and 14 (7.6%) patients in the control group, there was no significant difference (P> 0.05) .The 1-year, 2-year and 5-year The incidence ofpulmonary metastasis was 11.8%, 17.6% and 24.0% inthe TAE group and 7.0%, 13.0% and 21.7% respectively in the controlgroup, respectively (P> 0.05) .On the univariate analysis, tumor size, abnormal serum alanine aminotransferase Levels and heterogeneity on sonography were significantly associated with pulmonary metastasis. However, on themultivariate analysis, only tumor size was significantly predictive of pulmonary metastasis. CONCLUSION: TAE is effective on prolonging of patients with HCC. It does not significantly increase the risk of pulmonary metastasis. Tumor size is the only significant predictive associated with lung metastasis.