OBJECTIVES: In South Korea, 2617 new cases of head and neck cancer (HNC) were diagnosed and 1473 deaths were reported in 2005. In Western countries, SCCHN represents more than 90% of HNCs and surgery is the primary treatment modality for SCCHN. Chemotherapy is often an important treatment component combined with radiotherapy for patients diagnosed with locally advanced disease. This study aimed to estimate the number of resected SCCHN patients and describe their treatment and healthcare utilization in South Korea.  METHODS: The study included the following cancer sites: oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. The main source of data for the probabilities of having different types of SCCHN treatments was results from retrospective analyses found through literature review using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and the Korean Medical Database. Cancer incidence was based on data from the National Cancer Registry. In addition, expert opinion of a HNC surgeon in South Korea complemented the literature review. RESULTS: We estimated that SCCHN constituted 91% of HNC cases; 69% of the SCCHN cases were surgically resected. The number of new cases of resected SCCHN in South Korea was 1642 (oral cavity, 501; pharynx, 397; and larynx, 744). Fifity-two percent of resected SCCHN patients had neck dissections (45% of them were radical neck dissections) and 6% of resected SCCHN patients had total laryngectomy. 10% of patients had secondary surgery and 75% had reconstructive surgery. Sisty-four percent of patients received radiotherapy, whereas 33% received chemotherapy combined with surgery or as concomitant therapy with radiotherapy.  CONCLUSIONS: In South Korea, resected SCCHN is estimated to constitute 1% of all cancers. However, 29% of patients with resected SCCHN had major surgeries (radical neck dissection or total laryngectomy), causing a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients and contributing to a high economic burden to the patients and society.