Abstract: Primary liver carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in China， which is marked by its insidious onset and rapid progression. Most of the cases are unresectable when detected， making the prognosis extremely poor. As the one and only molecular-targeted drug which can bring about survival benefit for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma， sorafenib has aroused a mass research fervor of molecular-targeted drugs since 2007， the year it appeared on the market. Regrettably， no new drugs are available for clinical use. This review focuses on central questions regarding molecular-targeted drugs in clinical study for hepatocellular carcinoma.