【Objective】 To evaluate the role of preoperative adjuvant radiotherapy with 252-Californium neutron on cervical cancer. 【Methods】 Forty-five patients with cervical cancer in stage Ⅰb2-Ⅱb were chosen in the Third Affiliated Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2003 to April 2010. They were divided into two groups: the preoperative radiotherapy group and the non-preoperative radiotherapy group. The patients in the preoperative radiotherapy group (252-Cf group

24 cases) whose tumors were equal to or larger than 4 cm in diameter were received preoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. Thirty cases whose tumor diameters were less than 4 cm were directly received the radical hysterectomy without preoperative adjuvant therapy. The local tumor remission and radiation side effects of the 252-Cf group were observed

and the surgical findings were compared in the two groups. 【Results】 The average diameter of tumors after radiation was (18.63 ± 9.46) mm

which was significantly decreased than that before radiation 46.29 (S = 6.28) mm

P <0.05. The incidences of complications were quite low including 3 bone marrow suppression (12.5%)

1 radiation proctitis (4.2%) and 2 radiation cystitis (8.3%). The mean operative time of the 252-Cf group 258 (S = 44.63) min was slightly less than that of the direct surgery group 266 (S = 60) min

and there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The average blood loss of the 252-Cf group 462 (S = 166) mL was less than that of the direct surgery group 667 (S = 381) mL

and the difference in two groups was significant (P < 0.05). 【Conclusion】 The preoperative adjuvant radiotherapy with proper dose before radical hysterectomy can reduce the size of tumors with low side-effects and be benefit to the operations. It is a promising method in the treatment of cervical cancer.