BACKGROUND The D-xylose test is the most important method to determine a disorder of carbohydrates resorption in proximal small intestine. The application is based on an impaired resorption due to pathological change of small intestine surface, leading to a decreased blood level or decreased excretion in urine. METHODS D-xylose test was applied in 91 patients before, shortly after, 1/2 and 1 year after radiotherapy. All patients received an abdominal radiotherapy. We determined the blood level of D-xylose by a capillary blood sample 1 hour after oral D-xylose administration. RESULTS A significant decrease of the mean blood level of D-xylose to 1.88 mmol/l was determined after radiotherapy in comparison with 2.17 mmol/l before radiotherapy. Half a year after radiotherapy the mean blood level of D-xylose returned to normal. Regarding a threshold value of D-xylose blood level of 1.70 mmol/l 29 patients (32%) showed a pathologically decreased D-xylose resorption after radiotherapy. Twenty out of the 29 patients already showed a normal resorption half a year after the determination of the resorption disorder, 5 patients after 1 year and 4 patients after 1 1/2 years. There was no correlation between the detection of a disorder of D-xylose resorption and of a loss of body weight. The acute clinical side effects seemed to be more marked in connection with a disorder of D-xylose resorption, but this correlation is not significant. Eleven or 14 of the 29 patients, respectively, with pathologically decreased D-xylose resorption only had complaints of lower or upper gastrointestinal tract, respectively, and 10 patients did not have abdominal complaints at all. CONCLUSIONS The D-xylose test is an important and simple method for determination of radiogen induced carbohydrate malabsorption in proximal small intestine. By means of it radiation side effects on small intestine can also be determined in patients who are otherwise free of complaints.