Abstract: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and has a relatively high mortality rate. Liver transplantation has become an effective treatment for HCCs, but tumor recurrences after liver transplantation and donor shortages are the major limitations. The Milan criterion was the first standard and has been widely applied to liver transplantation of HCCs. Then, there are new emerging standards, namely University of California, San Francisco criterion (UCSF), Hangzhou and Shanghai criteria. Meanwhile, the comparison among these criteria laid the foundation for early prediction and prevention of posttransplantation tumor recurrence.In this review, clinical effect prediction and tumor recurrence after liver transplantation are also heated issues.