The records of all patients with stage I and II Hodgkin's disease treated with radiotherapy alone at the Royal Adelaide Hospital between 1970 and 1986 were reviewed. The aim was to ensure the results were equivalent to the best reported series, particularly as treating such patients with chemotherapy alone has been shown to produce equivalent overall survival figures with improved relapse-free survival. There were 104 patients of whom 67 had undergone staging laparotomy. Fifty-seven patients were stage I and 47 stage II. Nine patients had B symptoms. Overall survival at 10 years was 83% with disease-specific survival being 86% and relapse-free survival 68%. These results compare favourably with those in the world literature. Multivariate analysis only revealed stage as an independent predictor of improved relapse-free survival. The use of radiotherapy for most patients with early stage Hodgkin's disease is continued at Royal Adelaide Hospital. However, careful selection criteria need to be applied to minimize the incidence of relapse after radiotherapy.