The aim of this longitudinal quality of life (QL) study, was to study tumour-related symptoms and treatment side-effects of patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer and to determine whether an increased local dose of irradiation (brachytherapy affected QL. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), a tumour-specific Head and Neck questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD) were used repeatedly during 1 year. There were 105 patients, with a cumulative response rate of 89%. Most symptoms and problems were at their peak 2 or 3 months after the start of treatment. Nutrition and pain were found to be the major problems, and as many as 19-40% reported psychiatric distress. Patients having received additional brachytherapy did not report any increase in QL problems (except for pain) compared with those having had external radiation only. Quality of life does not seem to be affected by the increased irradiation local dose given when brachytherapy is included in the treatment regimen.