In 393 patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix stages I to IV the predictive value of the histopathologic classification of Reagan & Wentz (differentiation into cell type) was analysed in relation to 10-year lethality rate. Patients with large cell horn-pearl forming and orthokeratinizing tumours had the poorest, and those with large cell non-keratinizing the best prognosis. Large cell parakeratotic tumours did not differ significantly in prognosis compared with the non-keratinizing cell form. When clinical staging was included the prediction value of the histopathologic classification disappeared except in stage II. From a clinical point of view this additional prognostic information will have little practical consequences.