A retrospective study was performed with use of tumor registry data to evaluate tumor population characteristics, the patterns of care, and patient survival in 4,506 patients with head and neck cancers seen at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between 1960 and 1985. The total number of patients with head and neck cancers seen per year and the distribution by anatomic site remained relatively stable over the 26-year period. However, there was a general trend toward more advanced stages in later years. The selection of a treatment modality for this patient population correlated well with the site and stage of the disease and with the treatment philosophy of the managing physicians. Patient survival rates correlated well with the site and stage of the disease. There was a gradual improvement in 5-year survival rates over the 26-year period, from approximately 39% in 1960 to approximately 47% in 1984. This was principally due to an improvement in the 5-year survival rate for patients with "regional stage" disease, from approximately 22% in 1960 to approximately 41% in 1985.