Twenty-seven previously untreated patients with favorable prognosis non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a combination of total body irradiation followed by cyclophosphamide - vincristine - prednisone (CVP). The dose of total body irradiation was planned. to be 150 rad followed by 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The complete response rate was 59 %; the complete plus partial response rate, 93 %. The 50 % disease-free survival was 8 months. The actuarial projected 5 year survival was 60 % and the disease-free survival at 5 years was 27 %. The program was well tolerated by the majority of patients. It is possible for some patients with favorable non-Hodgkin's lymphomas to achieve prolonged periods of disease-free survival when treated with combinations of irradiation plus chemotherapy.