A retrospective survival analysis was performed on 287 patients treated with chemotherapy following orchidectomy for stage II testicular non-seminoma between 1982 and 1986 at a number of centres in the United Kingdom and 1 centre in Norway. A total of 80 patients had lymphadenectomy for a residual mass after chemotherapy. In 17 of these cases the histology was undifferentiated malignancy, in 44 it was differentiated teratoma, in 18 there was necrosis only and in 1 case histology was unknown. The overall survival in 47 patients with initial stage IIA disease (nodes measuring 5 cm) it was 84% (95% CI, 75%-93%). In stage IIA and stage IIB disease this approach leads to survival equivalent to that obtained with the approach of initial retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection.