Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of cancer and accounts for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Notably, more than half of the new HCC cases and deaths develop in China. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been proposed as the first-line therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with unresectable HCC. However, TACE has several limitations itself which might be potentially associated with tumor metastasis and relapse.