Cyclin D1, encoded by the gene CCND1, is a regulatory protein in the cell cycle transition from G1 phase to S phase. A common polymorphism (G870A) in the exon 4 of CCND1 gene affects splicing of the CCND1 transcript and may cause uncontrollable cellular growth. Therefore, the CCND1 G870A polymorphism may influence an individual's susceptibility to the development of certain tumors. The present study was performed to test the association between G870A polymorphism in the CCND1 gene and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in a Chinese population. We extracted the peripheral blood samples from 220 patients with HCC and 220 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis and direct DNA sequencing were performed to detect the polymorphism. The CCND1 genotype distribution among HCC patients was not significantly different from that among healthy controls (P=0.08). Compared with the wild-type GG genotype, neither the variant AA genotype nor the variant genotypes containing the A allele were associated with risk of HCC. However, stratification analysis by HBV carrier status revealed that the variant genotypes containing the A allele were associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC among HBsAg-positive individuals (adjusted OR=3.87; 95 % CI=1.12, 13.30). These results suggest that the CCND1 G870A polymorphism may increase the risk of HBV-related HCC in the Chinese population.