Objective: To analyze the factors affecting the tumor-free survival of primary liver cancer (HCC) patients undergoing postoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of 121 HCC patients undergoing TACE within 1-2 months after hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The cumulative tumor-free survival rates of the patients after treatment were calculated, and the associated factors for tumor-free survival were determined. Results: The 1-, 2- and 3-year tumor-free survival rates for the 121 patients were 72.73%, 46.21%, and 28.93%, respectively. Among the clinical variables that entered the COX proportional hazards model after screen by univariate analyses, the degree of tumor differentiation (P=0.040), tumor size (P=0.002) and the absence or presence of vascular tumor thrombus (P=0.039) made statistically significant contributions to the model. Conclusion: Degree of tumor differentiation, tumor size and the presence of vascular thrombus are independent risk factors for HCC recurrence within a short period of time after postoperative TACE treatment.