OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive cisplatin IV on day 1 and etoposide IV daily on days 1-3. This course is repeated every 3 weeks for a total for 4 courses. Patients also receive concurrent radiotherapy 5 days per week for 5.5 weeks starting with the first course of chemotherapy. Patients receive amifostine IV over 15 minutes 15-30 minutes prior to each dose of chemotherapy on days 1-3. Patients are followed at 6 and 12 weeks, then every 3 months for 9 months, every 6 months for 1 year, and then until death.