<正> This work was undertaken to investigate the etiology and histo-genesis of non-cirrhotic hepatocellular car-cinoma（NCH）in humanbeings.Among the 142 cases of NCH studied

135 were samplesobtained from surgical resection and 7 from autopsy.Fifty speci-mens from cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma（CH）were taken ascontrol(42 from operated material and 8 from autoptic material.

The results were as follows:1.Hepatitis B liver diseases and Orcein negative hepatitis liverdiseases accounted for 51.41% and 48.59% in NCH group

and 58.00%and 42.00% in CH group

suggesting that the two groups had asimilar background of liver diseases.2.The proliferation of oval cells was found to be 80.99% inNCH group and 100% in CH group（the difference was statisticallysignificant）.It is suggested that oval cells exposed to carcinogensmight develop into poorly differentiated and adenoid type of livercancer.3.Hepatocyte dysplasia was found to be 29.57% and 70.00%in NCH and CH group respectively

and there was a significantdifference between the two groups of HCC.We believe that dys-plasia may be a precancerous disorder.