Australia has the highest incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the world. The majority of lesions occur in the head and neck, and regional lymph-node metastases from cutaneous SCCs, though uncommon, reflect an aggressive manifestation. Surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy are currently considered best practice. Fifty-two eligible patients during 1980-1997 were identified in a retrospective review of patients treated within the department of Radiation Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney. Relevant data were extracted from the files, referring clinicians and the New South Wales Cancer Council. The median age at diagnosis was 63 years and the majority were men (87%). Unfavourable pathological features were present in many of the patients. Only extranodal spread (P = 0.02) was identified as an independent predictor for locoregional recurrence on multivariate analysis. The cumulative locoregional recurrence rates were 28 and 45% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. The 5-year cause-specific survival rate in this study was 65%. We conclude that parotid lymph-node metastases from cutaneous SCCs of the head and neck are associated with a high rate of locoregional recurrence and cause-specific mortality despite surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. The role of altered fractionation after surgery as a means to further enhance locoregional control warrants further investigation.