Objective To study the relationship between circulating tumor cells(CTCs) in peripheral blood of the pa‐tients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its metastasis and prognosis .Methods 35 patients with hepatocellular carci‐noma were collected as the research objects .CTCs density were enriched through gradient centrifugation and negative‐immu‐nomagnetic methods ,then the cells were detected by chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with immunofluo‐rescence tests to identify CTCs .The clinical characters were recorded and the data were statistically analyzed .Results All the patients were detected CTC positive .The number of CTC was (4 .1 ± 2 .5) .The patients were divided into 2 groups .Group Ⅰincluded patients whose CTCs were <5 ,and others were included in group Ⅱ .The difference between number of group I and group Ⅱ had significant significance(P=0 .001);Metastasis had nothing to do with patients′sex and age(P=0 .581 ,0 .531);The number of CTCs was related to metastasis and prognosis(P=0.024 ,0.01) ,and there was significant statistic significance between group I and groupⅡ .Conclusion The number of CTCs was related to tumor metastasis .The tumor may be more prone to occur metas‐tasis and may had worse prognosis ,and the patients may had shorter life time when the number of CTCs was≥5 .