We have studied 1,353 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck diagnosed between June 1984 and December 1991, at the Service of Otolaryngology of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau of Barcelona. We have analysed tumor location, age, sex, tobacco and alcohol consumption, tumor staging, and the incidence of nodal involvement as they relate to the extension of the primary tumor. We have found the features accepted for the south of Europe such as a high male predominance, and a very high incidence of advanced stages at the moment of diagnosis for all the regions except for the glottis. The glottis has been the only region--in the present study--where we have achieved an early diagnosis in a high proportion of cases.