Postoperative change of focusylation index (FI) of serum alpha-fetoprotein (F-AFP) and the result of surgery were studied in 34 patients of hepatocellular carcinoma. In 23 patients, serum F-AFP was disappeared with serum AFP turning negative and no tumor recurrence heppaned within the first 6 months postoperatively. In 4 patients, owing to hepatitis or active cirrohosis in the remained liver, serum AFP didn't turn negative, but FI of AFP was obviously decreased, follow-up found no signs of tumor recurrence within the first 6 months. In 5 of 7 patients, with decreased postoperative serum AFP levels and unchanged FI, tumor recurred. These results showed that postoperative F-AFP monitoring is helpful in evaluating surgical efficacy in liver tumor producing AFP.