OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the short- and long-term local control rates, disease-free survival, and overall survival following treatment with neoadjuvant cisplatin plus fluorouracil followed by surgery with or without radiotherapy vs surgery alone with or without radiotherapy in patients with previously untreated stage II-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. II. Assess the prognostic significance of clinical and pathologic responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in these patients. III. Compare the short- and long-term toxic effects of these two regimens.