Morbidity and prognostic factors were reviewed in 145 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for invasive cervical cancer between January 1976 and December 1986. Ninety five patients received adjuvant postoperative external radiotherapy (average 4800 cGY). One hundred twenty patients were F.I.G.O. stage IB, and 25 were clinical stage IIA. Indications for adjuvant radiotherapy included 3 categories of patients with high risk factors: 1) pelvic lymph node metastases, 2) parametrial invasion and/or surgical margins involvement, 3) large volume, deep stromal penetration or uterine extension. Four percent of the patients suffered major gastrointestinal complications, 8.9% had major genito-urinary complications, 19 patients had lymphocytes and 2 patients complained of thromboembolic episodes. Of the 19 patients with major gastrointestinal or genito-urinary morbidity, 7 (38.8%) were related to radiotherapy. Thirty-nine patients had node involvement, 38 of these patients received radiotherapy and 5-year survival rate was 43.5% versus 87.7% in other cases (p < 0.001). Of the 14 patients with parametrial invasion and/or surgical margins involvement, 10 received radiotherapy and overall 5-yrs survival was 85.8%. Of the 37 patients related to third category of risk, 18 received adjuvant radiotherapy with 83.3% 5-yrs survival versus 94.7% of other 19 cases (n.s.). Patients treated with surgery alone had a better 5-yrs survival (96%) than those who received combination therapy (66.3%) (p < 0.001). Adjuvant radiotherapy increases the morbidity of radical hysterectomy, while it has a relative value in preventing local and distant recurrences. In view of reduced survival in high risk patients with node involvement, consideration should be given to adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in high risk cases.