Carcinoma of the larynx is a disease in which loss of the voice is inevitable, either from metastasis of the tumor to the vocal cords or by removal of the larynx when the primary site is in the glottis. In the latter instance, life is not threatened, but the patient is faced with breathing through an opening in his neck, learning esophageal speech or depending upon a mechanical aid, and reevaluating his way of relating to others and perhaps even the way he earns his living.