A case-control study, involving 205 patients with cancer of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx and 273 control subjects with conditions considered not related to tobacco or alcohol consumption, was performed in Montevideo, Uruguay, between January 1988 and December 1990. Smokers of hand-rolled cigarettes showed an increased risk of cancer of the mouth and pharynx (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5; 95% confidence limit = 1.2-5.2) when compared with smokers of manufactured cigarettes. Also, the risk of laryngeal cancer was greater among smokers of hand-rolled cigarettes (OR = 2.7; 95% confidence limit = 1.3-5.7) as compared with smokers of commercial cigarettes.