Epidermoid carcinoma of the tonsil region is one of the most common malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract, equal in frequency to laryngeal carcinoma at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. This paper reviews the author's experience in treating these lesions with a combination of 5000 rads preoperatively followed by composite resection. The overall two-year crude survival is 58%. A 60% two-year survival for T3 lesions compares favorably with other series for treatment of T3 lesions.