Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

- Selected stage III or IV (no distant metastasis) disease

- The following TNM stages are excluded:

- T3, N0, M0

- T4a, N0, M0

- T4b, N3, M0

- Any T, any N, M1

- Complete total resection within the past 56 days AND has one or more of the following
risk factors:

- Multiple pathologically confirmed lymph node metastases

- One or more lymph nodes with extracapsular extension of tumor

- Microscopically positive margin(s) of resection, including mucosal margins
and/or soft tissue or deep margins of resection

- No primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- SGOT or SGPT ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Other

- No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy

- No known history of severe hypersensitiviy reaction to products containing
Polysorbate 80

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated
stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy for the malignancy

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy for the malignancy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- No concurrent amifostine