Surgery and Radiation Therapy Compared With Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer That Can Be Removed During Surgery

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether surgery plus radiation therapy is more effective than chemotherapy plus radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying surgery and radiation therapy to see how well they work compared to chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating patients with stage III or stage IV head and neck cancer that can be removed during surgery.