Laryngeal cancer is a rare type of neoplasia, constituting approximately 2% of all human cancers. Mutations of the ras gene family is one of the main activating mechanisms in human cancer. Their involvement in head and neck cancer has been mainly demonstrated at the level of the overexpression whereas ras mutations in these cancers are rare in the Western world. In the present study we explored the incidence of codon 12-point mutation in the H-, K- and N-ras genes, in 41 laryngeal cytological specimens. These specimens corresponded to 19 benign and 22 malignant lesions of the larynx. Only two specimens carried a codon 12-point mutation in the K-ras gene (4.8%) while no mutation was detected in the H- and N-ras genes. K-ras mutations were detected in one benign and one malignant specimen. These results indicate low incidence of ras oncogene mutations in laryngeal cytological specimens.