The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and histological features that may affect the survival of the patients and to evaluate the impact of post-operative adjuvant therapy on the outcomes of patients with stage IB and IIA carcinoma of the cervix. From August 1998 to January 2005, 140 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB and IIA cervical cancer were treated with radical hysterectomy and post-operative pelvic radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. The median age was 55 years (range, 29-86 years). Seventy-six patients had stage IB and 64 patients had stage IIA disease. Tumour size was <4 cm in 96 patients and > or = 4 cm in 44 patients. One hundred and eleven patients had histology of squamous cell carcinoma, 12 patients has adenocarcinoma and 17 patients had other histologic types. Depth of stromal invasion was <2/3 in 20 patients and > or = 2/3 in 120 patients. Twenty-three patients had parametrial invasion and 117 patients had no parametrial invasion. Thirteen patients had lymphovascular space invasion and 127 had no lymphovascular space invasion. Nine patients had positive surgical margin and 131 patients had negative margin. Twenty-seven patients had pelvic lymph node metastasis and 113 patients had no pelvic lymph node metastasis. Seventy-five patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy and 65 patients received radiotherapy alone. The 5-year overall survival (OAS) and disease-free survival were 83% and 72% respectively. In the log rank test, tumour size (P = 0.0235), pararmetrial invasion (P = 0.0121), pelvic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001) and adjuvant chemotherapy + radiotherapy (P = 0.0119) were significant prognostic factors for OAS, favouring tumour size <4 cm, absence of parametrial invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis, and those who received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The patients who received radiation with concomitant chemotherapy had a 5-year OAS rate of 90% versus those who received radiotherapy alone, with a rate of 76%. For patients with high-risk early stage cervical cancer who underwent a radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy resulted in better survival than radiotherapy alone. The addition of weekly cisplatin to radiotherapy is recommended. The treatment-related morbidity is tolerable.