To study the role of implantable drug delivery system (IDDS) linking with hepatic artery and portal vein during cancer resection for surveillance, prevention and treatment of recurrence of liver cancer. Intraoperative hepatic artery and portal vein catheterization were performed on 37 patients with liver cancer and it was connected to IDDS implanted under the skin of the abdomen wall. Periodic hepatography and chemotherapy were done through hepatic artery and portal vein by way of IDDS. (1) Recurrence was found by hepatography in one patient with negative CT finding. (2) The 1-, 2-year recurrent rates of 22 cases of liver cancer who underwent simple hepatectomy and 37 cases treated with hepatectomy and periodic chemotherapy through IDDS were 54.5%, 24.3% (P<0.05) and 77.3%, 37.8% (P<0.01) respectively. (3) In 6 cases of wide spread cancer recurrence after IDDS chemotherapy, it was found that tumor was reduced in size in 2 cases, drop of serum AFP was noted in 4 cases and that the median survival time of the patients with recurrence was 5 months. It is suggested that introperative implanting IDDS is helpful in surveillance for recurrence of liver cancer.