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INTRODUCTION Operative mortality in patients with cancer has been greatly reduced, but the incidence of recurrence has not been significantly altered (Fig 1 and 2). Surgical removal and irradiation18,21 offer the only means of control. Theoretically it would seem that a combination3-5 of these therapies should offer the best opportunity for a permanent cure. It is surprising how little work5,7,10-12,17,19 has been done in this regard when the world literature is reviewed. Postoperative irradiation1,2,3 has had significant trials in cases of uterine, breast, and oral cancer. The value of postoperative radiation in patients with gastrointestinal lesions has been shown to be rather limited.Curiosity was stimulated, however, by noting that in our series of patients with esophageal cancer there were three cases of five-year survival in patients who had received preoperative irradiation. We found this true also in one survivor of a lung cancer who lived