Between 1975 and 1988 we observed 169 patients with carcinoma of the cervical esophagus, 85 with a carcinoma involving the hypopharynx and the cervical esophagus, and 27 patients with a carcinoma of the cervical esophageal region arising after laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer. The mean age was 57.5 years (range 41-73). 167 patients underwent surgical exploration (operability rate 59.5%) and in 152 cases the tumor was resected (resectability rate 91.1%). The resection was complete in 129 patients (84.5%) and palliative in 23 (14.5%). In 33 cases a segmental laryngo-pharyngo-cervical esophagectomy with free intestinal loop transplantation was performed with an operative mortality of 6.1%. 101 patients underwent total laryngo-pharyngo esophagectomy and the gastrointestinal tract was reconstructed by means of pharyngo-gastrostomy and pharyngo-colostomy in 85 and 16 cases, with an operative mortality of 12.9% and 18.3%, respectively. Total esophagectomy without laryngectomy was performed in 18 patients with a carcinoma of the distal cervical esophagus refusing laryngectomy with a hospital mortality of 5.5%. The overall 5-year actuarial survival, excluding the operative mortality, was 15.8%. After complete resection, better results were recorded with patients operated for carcinoma of the hypopharynx than with patients with carcinoma of the cervical esophagus: the 2-year and 5-year actuarial survival was 59% vs 26% and 43% vs 17%, respectively. No patient undergoing palliative resection was alive at the 3-year interval.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)