AbstractSix hundred sixty‐eight patients with tumours of the larynx were treated by radiotherapy. The patients had stage T1 NO MO to T4 N3 MO disease. Patients with T1 NO MO disease (273) had an excellent long‐term survival (90%) as did those with T2 NO MO disease (142), whose 5‐year survival was 70%. Patients with more advanced disease but no nodal spread did not respond as readily to radiotherapy; the 5‐year survival was 40%. All patients were treated using a parallel pair set‐up 6 × 6 cm lateral neck fields. A more aggressive radiotherapy regime to a larger tissue volume to include microscopic spread to lymph nodes may improve survival of locally advanced disease.