Objective To evaluate the effects of selective hepatic vascular occlusion (SHVO) on the prognosis of patients undergoing hepatic resection for huge liver cancer. Methods The clinical data of 49 patients who received huge liver cancer resection at the Zhejiang People′s Hospital from January 2005 to January 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the type of hepatic vascular occlusion, all patients were divided into Pringle′s maneuver group (24 patients) and SHVO group (25 patients). The intraoperative condition, postoperative recovery〖JP〗 of hepatic and renal function, incidence of complications, survival rate and recurrence rate of liver cancer of the 2 groups were compared. All data were analyzed by using the ttest or Fisher exact probability. The survival curve was drawn by using the Kaplan Meier method and the survival of the 2 groups was compared by using the Log rank test. Results Hepatectomy was successfully performed on all the patients. Time for blood occlusion were (32±19)minutes in the Pringle′s maneuver group and (34±22)minutes in the SHVO group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups ( t=2.45, P 0.05). The volume of blood loss of the Pringle′s maneuver group was (736±543)ml, which was significantly greater than (273±298)ml of the SHVO group ( t=6.87, P <0.05).  The incidences of hepatic vein rupture were 21% (5/24) in the Pringle′s maneuver group and 24%(6/25) in the SHVO group, with no significant difference (χ 2=1.45, P 0.05). The course of 3 patients was complicated by hepatic vein rupture and hemorrhage and 1 by air embolism in the Pringle′s maneuver group, while no hemorrhage or air embolism happened in the SHVO group. Four patients in the Pringle′s maneuver group and 3 in the SHVO group were found with vascular invasion, while the resection margins were negative. There was no significant difference in the hepatic function in the 2 groups before operation. The levels of alanine aminotransferase〖JP〗 in the SHVO group at postoperative day 1 and 3 were significantly lower than those in the Pringle′s maneuver group ( t=7.12, 6.35, P <0.05). There was no significant difference in the levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine between the 2 groups ( P 0.05). Acute hepatic dysfunction was found in 4 patients in the Pringle′s maneuver group, but no patients with acute hepatic dysfunction was found in the SHVO group. The 1 and 3 year tumor free survival rates were 58% and 21% in the Pringle′s maneuver group, which were significantly lower than 72% and 30% in the SHVO group (χ 2=5.32, 6.07, P <0.05). The 5 year tumor free survival rates were 21% in the Pringle′s maneuver group and 20% in the SHVO group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (χ 2=1.78, P 0.05). Conclusion SHVO is safe, feasible and effective to prevent hemorrhage and postoperative acute hepatic dysfunction, and it is also helpful in reducing early stage tumor recurrence and improving the tumor free survival rate in patients with huge liver cancer.