Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically confirmed squamous cell or undifferentiated carcinoma of the head and
neck (excluding nasopharynx, paranasal sinus, and parotid gland)

- Unresectable locally advanced or regional stage IV disease

- No evidence of distant metastases

- Must have demonstrable primary tumor site

- Measurable disease

- Unresectable disease

- Meets the following criteria for unresectable disease by tumor site:

- Hypopharynx, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Extension across the midline of the posterior pharyngeal wall

- Any evidence of fixation to the cervical spine

- Larynx

- Direct subglottic extension (>3cm) into surrounding muscle or skin

- Oral cavity

- Lesion precluding functional reconstruction

- Base of tongue, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Extension into the root of the tongue

- Patient refuses total glossectomy

- Tonsillar area, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Extension into pterygoid area as manifested by x-ray or trismus

- Extension across midline of pharyngeal wall

- Direct extension into soft tissue of the neck

- Unilateral neck node metastases fixed to carotid artery, mastoid, base of
skull, or cervical spine with any of the above tumors

- Patients requiring total glossectomy are eligible

- Age>=18 years

- ECOG Performance status of 0-1

- Adequate hematologic, renal, and hepatic function obtained <=4 weeks prior to
registration

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 2,000/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times normal

- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 3 times
normal

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- Creatinine ≤ 1.2 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- Able to tolerate fluid load

- At least 14 days since major surgery (including dental extraction) except
percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement or mediport placement

Exclusion Criteria:

- Pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients do not use effective contraception

- Patients who refuse surgery but whose tumors are technically resectable OR whose
tumors are unresectable for medical reasons are not eligible

- Disease metastases below the clavicles or elsewhere (M1) or with a postoperative
recurrence

- Prior excisional surgery of head and neck tumor

- Prior radiotherapy to the head and neck region

- Prior chemotherapy

- Prior drugs that target the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway

- Prior chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody

- Active systemic infection

- Known allergy to murine proteins

- Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring ≥ 3 hospitalizations within
the past year

- Myocardial infarction within the past 3 months

- Uncontrolled congestive heart failure

- Unstable or uncontrolled angina

- Clinically apparent jaundice

- Postoperative recurrence

- Other malignancy within the past 3 years except resected basal cell or squamous cell
skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or other in situ tumors