Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is widely used as a serum marker for HCC screening a nd diagnosis, AFP has been shown to have poor sensitivity and specificity. To investigate the clinical diagnostic value of circulating free cell DNA（cfDNA）in hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC），and the relationship between clinicopathological features and cfDNA. \nLevels of cfDNA were detected by branched DNA. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and Youden index of cfDNA were assessed with receiver operating characteristic curve, and the relationship between the level of cfDNA and clinicopathological feature was analyzed. The average level of cfDNA in HCC was significantly higher than that in control (P<0.01). The area under the curve of ROC was 0.742±0.058 for HCC, and the optimal cut-off value was 509.9774 ng/ml. When choose level of 509.9774 ng/ml to predict HCC, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and Youden index was 56.4%, 95.6%, 77.4%, 91.7%, 71.7%, 12.692, 0.048, and 0.520, respectively. The level of cfDNA was correlated with gender and metastasis in HCC. The method of quantitative analysis cfDNA is easy and sensitive for HCC.