Radiotherapy--predominantly with soft x-rays--is, besides plastic surgery and cryosurgery, suitable for the treatment of facial malignancies for which operation would be undesirable in consideration of tumour size and the patient's general health, age and internal diseases. Operation should be preferred for smaller tumours that can be operated on with primary wound closure; tumours that grow into the mouth angle or into the cartilaginous folds of the ear; for patients under 50 years of age; for facial malignancies that have already caused a defect; for patients with nevoid basal cell epithelioma syndrome or xeroderma pigmentosum; for melanomas and sarcomas (except lentigo maligna). Optimal results are achieved by exact limitation of the irradiated area (with a safety margin) and a ray hardness that corresponds to the individual tumour thickness. Due to mechanical irritation, unusually high sun exposure, allergies, pyodermas and local treatment with corticosteroids ulceration may develop in the radioderma remaining after radiotherapy. Radiation-induced tumours occurring in radiodermas are extremely rare if irradiation was applied for a facial malignancy according to the rules and after the 50th year of age.