Quality of life is important in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer. The assessment of quality of life is complex and it is difficult to identify the studies and questionnaires previously reported that have dealt with quality of life assessment in patients with oral cancer. This article gives guidelines for choosing a questionnaire, provides a tabulated summary of 65 studies published in the English language from 1980 to 1997, and gives a brief description of 27 commonly used questionnaires. The review is of particular assistance to the clinician who is considering embarking upon quality of life research in oral cancer.