S0427, Combination Chemotherapy & RT in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Cancer of the Oropharynx

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving combination chemotherapy together with radiation therapy is more effective than giving cisplatin together with radiation therapy in treating cancer of the oropharynx. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy to see how well they work compared to cisplatin and radiation therapy in treating patients with stage III or stage IV cancer of the oropharynx.