Recent developments in both molecular and cellular biology have improved the understanding of the tumorigenesis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Loco-regional recurrence of this condition still poses a significant oncological management dilemma for a subset of these tumours. Therefore, the possibility that specific tumour characteristics (demonstrable by immunohistochemical and molecular biological study) may aid the clinician in choosing the optimal treatment for a specific tumour holds great promise. This article concentrates on the role and inter-relationship of epidermal growth factor receptor status on the function of cyclin D, and how this is related to the presence of retinoblastoma protein. A review of recent studies evaluating these markers, the potential clinical utility of these findings and the possible directions for further study are discussed.