Of 536 patients who were treated by radical radiotherapy for early (stage I·II) glottic squamous carcinoma between 1979 and 1994, 97 patients failed locally. Seventy-seven per cent of the recurrent lesions were detected within 2 years. Partial laryngectomy for salvage was performed in 39 patients ; 34 of 58 in Tla, 0 of 8 in Tlb and 5 of 31 in T2, respectively. The cumulative 5-year survival rate calculated from the beginning of irradiation in 97 patients was 85.3 %, which was similar to the rate of the remaining patients controlled by irradiation. The cumulative 5-year survival rates and the cause-specific 5-year survival rates estimated from the date of salvage surgery were 85.5%, 94.0% in patients with partial laryngectomy and those were 76.1%, 97.7 % in those with total laryngectomy, respectively. The acutual laryngeal preservation rates were 82% (32139) in partial laryngectomiees and 33% (32197) overall. It showed partial laryngectomy was effective after failure of radiationtherapy, so it was found to be important to recognize the recurrent tumors as soon as possible.