IN THE surgical treatment of carcinoma of the larynx, the all-important objective must necessarily be the complete eradication of the neoplasm. Often the larynx must be sacrificed and an extensive dissection of the cervical glands performed in order to excise sufficiently wide of the disease. Preservation of laryngeal function with the maintenance of an intact respiratory tract is of secondary consideration. However, total laryngectomy need not always be resorted to if a more conservative procedure such as thyrotomy, hemilaryngectomy, or pharyngotomy will save the larynx without too great an additional risk of recurrence. The likelihood of preserving the larynx in the surgical treatment of carcinoma depends upon the location of the tumor and its extent of invasion. In my experience, the microscopic characteristics of laryngeal carcinoma have little or no bearing on the response of the tumor to either surgery or radiotherapy. Limited cordal neoplasms are singularly suitable for thyrotomy