An analysis of 508 patients (660 heminecks) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and clinically positive neck nodes who were treated with radiotherapy alone to the primary lesion (with or without a neck dissection) was conducted to determine if open neck-node biopsy before definitive treatment adversely affected the probability of control of neck disease, the risk of distant metastasis, or the cause-specific survival rate. The prognostic factors analyzed included biopsy status of the neck, N stage, neck treatment, node mobility, node location, T stage, primary site, and control of disease above the clavicles. Sixty-six patients who had undergone an open neck-node biopsy before definitive radiotherapy were compared with a control group of 442 patients who did not undergo a neck-node biopsy; no detrimental effect of the biopsy on neck control, distant metastasis, or cause-specific survival was demonstrated. We conclude that the potential adverse effect of violating the neck before definitive treatment cannot be demonstrated if radiotherapy is the next step in the patient's management.