CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that early diagnosis and treatment are the most important factors to improve the prognosis in oral cancer patients. OBJECTIVE In this retrospective study we analyzed the therapeutic outcome of oral cancers at out institute. METHODS Thirty-one patients with oral cancers were treated between January 2000 and December 2004 at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital. Transoral resection of tumor with or without neck dissection was performed for early oral cancers (stage I and II), while more extensive resection and radical neck dissection followed by postoperative radiotherapy was performed for advanced cases (stage IIII and IV). In the treatment of early tongue cancer, either partial glossectomy or brachytherapy was selected. The 3-year disease-specific survival rates of all patients, early-staged, and advanced-staged patients were 82.2%, 92.9%, and 63.5%, respectively. The prognosis was significantly related to the clinical stage of the tumor.