Between 1970 and 1985, 130 patients were irradiated with curative intent at the Center of Oncology in Kraków. The histological diagnosis was squamous-cell carcinoma in 60.8% of patients, adenocarcinoma in 25.4% of patients and other non-small cell cancer in 13.8% of patients. Out of 130 irradiated patients 21.5% refused surgery, 26.2% were inoperable for medical reasons, and 52.3% had unresectable tumors. According to the UICC TNM 1987 classification, 62 (47.7%) patients had early (stages I and II) disease. The remaining 68 (52.3%) patients had stage III A cancer. Additional criteria for patients selection to radiotherapy with curative intent were: Karnofsky performance status > or = 50, and no respiratory insufficiency. All patients were treated with megavoltage radiation. Patients with stage I were treated by three isocentric beams. Tumor dose was 6000 cGy in 24 fractions over five weeks. In patients with stage II and III A disease the radiotherapy was started with two parallel opposed beams encompassing primary lesion and mediastinum. The dose of 4000 cGy was given in 20 fractions over four weeks, followed by a "boost" dose of 2000 cGy in the fractions over two weeks, delivered with three isocentric beams. 54% of patients were disease-free at the twelfth month, 24.6% at the 36th month, and 18.5% of patients survived five years without evidence of cancer. A significantly better survival has been observed in patients with stages I and II, with Karnofsky performance status > or = 70, and with complete radiological regression eight weeks after radiation therapy. The main cause of failure of the treatment were distant metastases.