Ninety-four urinary bladder cancer patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic urinary bladder cancer were treated with external radiotherapy with the aim of palliating local disease. Conventional radical radiotherapy was inappropriate because of extensive disease, poor general condition or old age of the patients. The palliative course studied was 30 Gy (mid-point dose) in six fractions, two fractions a week. Eighty-two patients (87%) tolerated treatment as planned. Forty patients (43%) had complete palliation of initial symptoms. Thirty-eight patients (40%) had initial local control of the tumour, which was lasting in 25 cases (26%). Median disease-specific survival of the patients was 13.3 months. The estimated five-year survival was 13% and survival from bladder cancer 27%.