RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. It is not yet known if chemotherapy plus radiation therapy is more effective than radiation therapy alone in treating patients with advanced cancer of the larynx.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in treating patients with advanced cancer of the larynx.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare, in a phase III setting, overall and disease-free survival with preservation of laryngeal function in patients with stage III/IV squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic and supraglottic larynx treated with cisplatin/fluorouracil (CDDP/5-FU) followed by radiotherapy vs. concomitant radiotherapy plus CDDP vs. radiotherapy alone. II. Compare the tumor response after completion of chemotherapy but prior to initiation of radiotherapy with that following completion of radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy. III. Compare the patterns of relapse (local and regional recurrence and distant metastasis) with these treatments. IV. Compare the incidence of second primary tumors in patients treated on these three regimens. V. Compare the acute and chronic adverse effects of these three regimens. VI. Compare the morbidity experienced with neck dissection and/or laryngeal salvage surgery following treatment with these regimens. VII. Compare quality of life of patients with laryngeal preservation vs. patients requiring salvage laryngectomies. VIII. Compare the quality of life of patients receiving radiotherapy alone vs. those receiving chemotherapy as well.

OUTLINE: Randomized study. Patients on any arm, clinically staged N+ undergo neck dissection following completion of radiotherapy. Arm I: 2-Drug Combination Chemotherapy followed by Radiotherapy. Cisplatin, CDDP, NSC-119875; Fluorouracil, 5-FU, NSC-19893; followed by regional irradiation using linear accelerators with photon energies of 1.25-6 MV, electron energies of 8-17 MeV, or Co60. Arm II: Radiotherapy plus Single-Agent Chemotherapy/Radiosensitization. Regional irradiation using equipment as in Arm I; plus CDDP. Arm III: Radiotherapy. Regional irradiation using equipment as in Arm I.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: 546 patients (182/arm) will be entered over approximately 3 years. If any arm is clearly inferior in laryngectomy-free survival after 137 patients have completed 2 years of follow-up study, that arm will be closed to further accrual. A second interim analysis will be conducted after 410 patients have completed 2 years of follow-up.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Biopsy-proven, previously untreated, squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic and supraglottic larynx that would normally require total laryngectomy Stage III/IV disease (excluding T1 and M1) Endoscopic tumor staging required within 4 weeks of entry Tumors must be considered resectable and potentially curable with conventional surgery and radiotherapy T4 disease limited to: Up to 1 cm invasion of the base of tongue Questionable cartilage invasion on CT (clinically T3) Measurable disease required No synchronous primary tumors No subglottic tumors

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60%-100% Hematopoietic: (obtained within 3 weeks of entry) WBC at least 3,500 Platelets at least 100,000 Hepatic: Not specified Renal: (obtained within 2 weeks of entry) Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min (measured or calculated) Serum calcium normal Cardiovascular: Status adequate to tolerate all protocol therapy Pulmonary: Status adequate to tolerate all protocol therapy Other: Nutritional status adequate to tolerate all protocol therapy Mental status adequate to follow instructions and keep appointments No second malignancy except nonmelanomatous skin cancer (Patients who have been disease-free for at least 3 years following treatment for a prior cancer may be eligible at the discretion of the protocol chairman) Negative pregnancy test required of fertile women Effective contraception required of fertile women

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior therapy Chemotherapy: No prior therapy Endocrine therapy: No prior therapy Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck Surgery: No prior therapy