This paper describes the technique -and results of a treatment protocol for bladder cancer combining low dose pre-operative external beam irradiation followed by external iliac nodal dissection and limited partial cystectomy and curietherapy with iridium 192. In 55 patients treated from 1971 to 1985, 43/66 (65 %) are alive NED at 5 years (26/31 T1, 11/20 T2, 1/4 T3) with 13/85 bladder recurrences (10/43 Tl. 2/30 T2, 0/5 T3, 1/7 Tl). Only nine patients have not retained a functional bladder. These favorable results have been obtained in a carefully selected population. Our indications for the technique are Tl, T2, T3a tumors with a total surface area not exceeding 5 cm, nor involving the bladder neck and unifocal or in some cases plurifocal, but closely grouped. The advantages and precise details of each stage of the technique will be described and compared with large series in which radium 226 is utilized and results of curietherapy are compared with other modalities of treatment employed under similar circumstances for similar patient groups.