A series of 116 laryngeal carcinomas treated definitively with irradiation over a 9 1/2-year period is presented. By preliminary follow-up, there have been 20 recurrences, for an initial treatment failure rate of 17%. Of the 20 patients with recurrence, 16 had salvage surgical procedures. Four of the 16 surgical wounds (25%) presented complications. Eleven of the 16 patients having salvage attempts are thus far free of disease. The initial treatment failure rate of 17% has thus been lowered to 7.8% at preliminary follow-up.