Between 1966 and 1984, 14 patients with carcinoma of the soft palate and eight patients with a posterior oropharyngeal wall carcinoma were treated at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.In the soft palate group, the majority of patients (10) had small tumours T1‐T2; the median patient delay was 1 month (range 0‐5). Eleven patients were treated with radiotherapy and three with surgery, as single treatment modalities. Tumour control was achieved in 10 patients following initial treatment. Five‐year results for tumour control and overall survival were 67% and 41%, respectively.In the posterior wall group all patients had advanced tumours (T3‐T4), after a median patient delay of 4 months (range 0‐6). Six patients were treated with radiotherapy, one with surgery only and one with a combination of these. Following the initial treatment, tumour control was achieved in half of the patients. Five‐year tumour control was 50%, and overall survival at 5 years was 38%.In conclusion, the tumours in these two sub‐sites of the oropharynx differ significantly in the extent of the primary tumour (P<0.01), posterior wall tumours being more advanced on admission, after a significantly longer his