A series of 44 previously untreated patients was found to have stage I or II Hodgkin's disease on the basis of a diagnostic workup which included laparotomy and splenectomy in 39 cases. The patients were randomized to either involved field or extended field radiotherapy. No difference was found in overall survival rates between the two groups. Regional recurrences were seen in four patients in the involved field group and in none of the extended field group. Regional recurrences were seen in four patients in the involved field group and in none of the extended field group. Radiotherapy to the extended field treatment port (generally an extended mantle) can be given with acceptable side effects. Staging laparotomy was of definite value, changing the classification and resulting therapy of two groups: (1) patients with clinical stage (CS) I or II, pathologic stage (PS) III involvement, who were treated with appropriately larger radiotherapy fields; and (2) patients with CS III, PS I or II, who were spared unnecessarily extensive radiotherapy.