One hundred and fifty patients with invasive cervical carcinoma underwent preradiation therapy celiotomy and para-aortic node excision. The incidence of histologically documented metastases in these nodes was 33% (34/102) in Stage IIIB. The last 23 patients with positive para-aortic nodes had left sclanene node excision; nodes were positive in eight patients (34.8%). Sixteen patients had visceral metastases including 11 with small and large bowel metastases, two with liver metastases, and one with metastases to the liver and intestine. Pretreatment celiotomy with para-aortic lymph node excision and, where positive, followed by scalene lymph node excision is valuable in treatment planning in advanced cervical carcinoma limited to the pelvis.