Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Metastatic or loco-regionally recurrent malignancy of the head and neck (including
salivary gland and thyroid) that is incurable by surgery or radiotherapy

- At least two distinct tumor masses OR

- One tumor mass at least 3 cm in diameter

- No brain metastases

- No pulmonary metastases as only site of disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,500/mm3

- Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

- Hemoglobin greater than 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic:

- PT and PTT normal OR

- INR ratio less than 1.1

- Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL

- AST and ALT less than 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

- Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL

- Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

- No uncompensated coronary artery disease

- No history of myocardial infarction or severe or unstable angina within the past 6
months

- No severe peripheral vascular disease

- No deep venous thrombosis or arterial thrombosis within the past 6 months

- No known hypercoagulable syndrome with predisposition to venous or arterial clots

Pulmonary:

- No pulmonary embolism within the past 6 months

Other:

- No prior cerebral hemorrhage

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- At least 3 weeks since palliative chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or
nitrosoureas) and recovered

- At least 4 weeks since combined chemoradiotherapy and recovered

- Must be recovered from prior taxanes

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior large field radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

- Not specified