From January 1988 to July 1992, 68 patients presenting with a locally advanced and unresectable carcinoma of the head and neck region were given 3 to 5 courses of chemotherapy (5-FU 1 g/m2, day 1 to 3, cisplatin 4 mg/m2, day 1 and 2, 15 mg/m2 day 8) combined with simultaneous radiotherapy. Patients were enrolled in two protocols. In the initial one a 70 Gy total dose was delivered in 105 days, and in the latter the same dose was given in only 63 days. Toxicity was moderate and acceptable. In the 62 evaluable patients, a complete response was observed in 62%, and partial response in 24%. The complete response rate was higher (80%) in the population enrolled in the second protocol. Overall the median survival is 18 months. At 2 and 3 years, the overall survival is 48% and 30% respectively. These results suggest an influence of overall treatment duration on complete response rate and survival.