The English language literature for the years 1935-1972 was reviewed to assess the effect of pelvic exenteration on vaginal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Twenty-one cases were determined eligible for review. Tumor was confined to the vagina in 8 cases and extended beyond the vagina in 13 cases. Treatment by pelvic exenteration was found to be a relatively ineffective means of curing patients with tumor extending beyond the limits of the vagina. Recent evidence from the literature indicates that better results can be obtained by coordinated treatment, ie, surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy, than by surgery alone.