Protein kinase C (PKC), which contains ten isozymes with distinct enzymological characteristics and intracellular localization, has been believed to be correlated with tumor proliferation, migration and invasion. A recent study found that the PKCα was significantly expressed in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and positively correlated with tumor size, tumor stage and mortality rate. It was also found that PKCα played a critical role in cell proliferation, migration and invasion of the poorly differentiated human hepatoma cell lines (HA22T/VGH and SK-Hep-1). In this review, the PKCα signaling in both down-stream and up-stream pathways in HCC cells was discussed.