Background: Small hepatocellular carcinoma(sHCC) is a unique variant of HCC that is characterized by small tumor size(maximum tumor diameter predic≤3 cm) and favorable long?term outcomes. The present study aimed to define clin?icopathologic factors that t survival in patients with s HCC.Methods: The study population consisted of 335 patients who underwent hepatectomy for solitary s HCC between December 1998 and 2010. Prognostic factors were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models.Results: The 5?year overall survival(OS) and recurrence?free survival(RFS) rates were 77.7% and 59.9%, respectively. Kaplan–Meier curves showed that tumor size and vascular invasion had prognostic significance within this relatively selected cohort(P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis confirmed that increased tumor size and vascular invasion were independent prognostic factors for short OS(hazard ratio HR = 2.367, 95% confidence interval CI 1.406–3.985; HR = 2.954, 95% CI 1.781–4.900) and RFS(HR = 1.779, 95% CI 1.259–2.514; HR < 0.05). Importantly, a proposed prognostic scoring model was deri= 1.699, 95% CI 1.165–2.477) in s HCC patients(Pved according to the two variables; tumor size and extent of vascular invasion were significantly associated with OS and RFS in patients with s HCC(P < 0.001).Conclusions: Tumor size and vascular invasion are feasible and useful prognostic factors for s HCC. The proposed prognostic model, based on tumor size and vascular invasion, is informative in predicting survival in s HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy.