OUTLINE: Course 1: Patients receive amifostine IV over 5 minutes daily, followed by radiotherapy twice daily Monday through Friday for 3 weeks. Patients receive cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes on day 1, and etoposide IV over 1 hour on days 1, 2, and 3. Courses 2-4: Patients receive amifostine over 15 minutes on day 1, followed by cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes and etoposide IV over 1 hour every 3 weeks. Patients are followed at 1 month, then every 3 months until death.