The records of 58 patients treated by radiotherapy for presacral recurrent rectal cancers between 1975 and 1982 were evaluated. Pain was one of the most distressing symptoms, occurring in 38 of 58 patients (66 percent) which, in 90 percent (34 of 38) of patients could be controlled by radiotherapy. Side effects were mild, and could be treated conservatively. The crude survival of the patients was 19.8 months (range, 3 to 71 months). Only 3 percent of those treated survived five years. The dose-survival study showed increased survival of patients treated with more than 44 Gy. Because of negative selection of patients irradiated with lower doses, certain conclusions cannot be made. Surgery, if performed radically, is the treatment of choice. But patients with inoperable disease treated with radiotherapy benefit symptomatically, and might have increased survivals with a small chance of cure.