Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) combined with argon-helium cryoablation in treating small renal cancers. Methods During the period from February 2008 to July 2013, a total of 44 patients with small renal cancer were treated with TAE and argon-helium cryoablation at The Medical Imaging Department of Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command. The renal function was reexamined one month after the treatment. Contrast-enhanced CT or MRI was performed in all patients within 1-3 months after the treatment. By using mRECIST, the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated. All patients were followed up for 12-46 months (mean 28 months). Results A total of 48 lesions in the 44 patients were treated with sequential therapy of TAE and argon-helium cryoablation. Of the 48 lesions, complete remission (CR) was achieved in 38, partial remission (PR) in 6 and stable disease (SD) in 4, the remission rate (CR+PR) was 91.7%. No severe complications occurred in all patients, except one who developed localized hemorrhage during the performance of argon-helium cryoablation, which was improved after symptomatic medication. The mean postoperative hospitalization time was 4 days. Three patients were lost to follow-up, one patient died of esophageal cancer-related complication. The remaining patients were survival during the follow-up period, among them recurrence occurred in five within 13-22 months after the treatment, and the sequential therapy of TAE and argon-helium cryoablation had to be carried out once more. Conclusion For the treatment of small renal cancers, the sequential therapy of TAE combined with argon-helium cryoablation is minimally-invasive, safe and effective, and TAE that is performed before argon-helium cryoablation can reduce the incidence of bleeding occurring in the freezing process. Therefore, this technique should be recommended in clinical practice.