Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients with cytologically or histologically documented HCC, who are candidates for
TACE

- Child-Pugh Child A or B

- Age >= 18

- Measurable disease by RECIST criteria;

- Performance status ECOG 0-2

- Previous local therapy completed > 4 weeks

- Written informed consent signed

- Normal organ and marrow function defined as:

Haematopoietic:

- WBC ≥ 3,000/µlplatelet count > 80,000/mm3

- haemoglobin > 9g/dL

- Hepatic: Albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dl.serum total bilirubin ≤ 3 mg/dl; AST or ALT < 5 x ULN

- Renal: creatinine < 1.5 x ULN

Exclusion Criteria:

- Metastases

- Prior or concomitant chemotherapy or radiation therapy

- VEGF/VEGFR- inhibitors or other anti-angiogenesis agents

- Severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions:

- Congestive heart failure, serious cardiac arrhythmia, active coronary artery

- Severe renal impairment

- Patients who anticipate receiving major surgery during the course of the

- Pregnant or breastfeeding patients

- Evidence of bleeding diathesis