OUTLINE: This is a dose escalation, multicenter study of docetaxel. Patients receive amifostine IV over 15 minutes, immediately followed by docetaxel IV over 1 hour, followed at hour 2 by amifostine as above, immediately followed by high dose cisplatin IV over 30 minutes. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of patients receive escalating doses of docetaxel until the maximum tolerated dose is determined.