The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients without cirrhosis who underwent hepatectomy. Between 1986 and 1998 a total of 197 men and 57 women with noncirrhotic HCC underwent hepatic resection in the Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. We determined their surgical mortality and the disease-free and overall cumulative survival rates. The surgical mortality was 4.7% and the 5-year disease-free survival rate 24.01%. By Cox regression analysis, serum alkaline phosphatase [relative risk (RR) 1.761; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.037-2.985)], albumin (RR 2.179; CI 1.215-3.908), multiple tumor status (RR 2.288; CI 1.272-4.115), and blood urea nitrogen (RR 4.651; CI 1.116-19.38) were shown to be independent prognostic factors for the 5-year disease-free survival rates. The 5-year overall cumulative survival rate was 25.91%. By Cox regression analysis, serum albumin (RR 1.656, CI 1.005-2.730), blood transfusion (RR 2.075, CI 1.153-3.731), resection margin (RR 2.562, CI 1.436-4.572), and multiple tumors (RR 2.801, CI 1.727-4.545) were shown to be significant independent factors that influenced cumulative survival rates. Hence in patients with a noncirrhotic HCC who underwent hepatectomy the prognosis depended on preoperative hepatic function, the presence of multiple tumors, the need for blood transfusion, and the surgical resection margin.