Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life issues of patients with laryngeal cancer after treatment with either chemoradiation or total laryngectomies.Methods: A prospective study of 31 patients with a history of stage III/IV laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated primarily with either chemoradiation or by total laryngectomy completed the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire. Patients were identified on a volunteer basis in an academic university head and neck clinic setting. Each patient completed the above questionnaire and statistical significance was assessed by nonparametric 2-tailed test.Results: Questionnaires were completed by all 31 patients, 15 patients who underwent primary chemoradiation and 16 patients who underwent a total laryngectomy followed in most cases by radiation. Problems reported in both treatment groups without significant differences were appearance, activity, recreation, shoulder impingement, moods, anxiety, swallowing, chewing, speech, taste, and general questions. However, there were significant differences between the 2 groups in issues of speech, pain, and saliva. The laryngectomy patients reported greater impairment of speech (P = 0.04), and more pain (P = 0.05), while the chemoradiation patients suffered from decreased saliva (P = 0.08).Conclusions: Most patients with laryngeal cancer, whether treated primarily with chemoradiation or total laryngectomy, reported excellent functional outcomes and health-related quality of life issues. Speech, pain, and saliva were recorded as significant factors affecting their daily quality of life.